Use of serum procalcitonin (PCT) level and PCT mRNA expression as a potential clinical biomarker in cats with bacterial and viral infections

Abstract

Objectives The aim of this study was to investigate the use of procalcitonin (PCT) as a biomarker in differentiating bacterial infections from viral infections in cats. In addition, the relationship between PCT and mortality rate was also examined. Methods Forty-five cats were included in the study. The cats were categorised into two groups: bacterial (n = 20) and viral (n = 25) infection. Serum PCT level and PCT mRNA expression were analysed from blood samples collected before treatment. Results Serum PCT level and PCT mRNA expression of the cats with presumed bacterial infection were higher than those with viral infection ( P = 0.001 and P = 0.001, respectively). The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis revealed an area under the ROC curve value of 0.888 for serum PCT and 0.850 for PCT mRNA expression. There was no statistically significant difference among respiratory, urinary and gastrointestinal tract infections regarding serum PCT level and PCT mRNA expression in the presumed bacterial infection group ( P = 0.741 and P = 0.141, respectively). In the presumed bacterial infection group, serum PCT level and PCT mRNA expression in the non-surviving cats were higher than those of the surviving cats ( P = 0.021 and P = 0.026, respectively). Conclusions and relevance Serum PCT level and PCT mRNA expression were considered efficient biomarkers in cats to distinguish a bacterial infection from a viral infection. Moreover, ROC curve analysis was highly accurate in the discriminative capacity of these two parameters. PCT level and PCT mRNA expression offer substantial assistance in an efficient therapeutic approach and in avoiding unnecessary antibiotic use in feline clinical practice, particularly in emergency patients and those with non-specific clinical signs, decreasing the mortality rate. However, it should be noted that these data are only research data. More detailed future studies are needed.