[Procalcitonin as a marker of perinatal infection in newborn--preliminary data]

Intrauterine and intrapartum infections in newborn infants are still difficult to recognise. The newborn does not manifest the classic clinical signs of infection usually observed in children and adults and up to now there is no good laboratory marker. In the last few years, procalcitonin (PCT) has been found to increase during different inflammatory processes, especially bacterial ones. In this study we analysed the clinical value of PTC in parturient, umbilical cord and newborn blood for predicting perinatal infection.

Thirty parturients with symptoms of intrauterine infection were classified for this study. Blood samples were obtained from the mother, the umbilical cord and the newborn on the second day of life. Serum was stored at -70 degrees C and thawed at the time of analysis. Among the newborns there were 21 infants without and 9 with symptoms and signs of infection. PCT concentration was measured by immunoluminometric assay--LUMI test PCT (BRAHMS).

Statistically significant results were found on the second day of life: 5.83 (4.70) ng/ml in ill, 1.41 (0.68) ng/ml in healthy (p < 0.0005). We observed a significant correlation between PCT concentration in mother and umbilical cord blood (y = 0.40x + 1.06; p < 0.05), as well as between umbilical cord blood and venous blood on the second day of life in newborns (y = 0.16x 1.21; p < 0.01).

Measurement of PCT concentration in perinatal period in the mother and in umbilical cord blood of the newborn may be useful for early diagnosis and monitoring of infectious complications in neonates. We need more data on reference ranges of PCT concentration in pregnant women, parturients and umbilical cord blood.