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Plasma lactoferrin as a marker of infection in elderly individuals
E O Adeyemi1, C D'Anastasio, M G Impallomeni
1Department of Medicine, Royal Postgraduate Medical School, Hammersmith Hospital, London, Great Britain.
Abstract:
To assess lactoferrin as a marker of infection, plasma lactoferrin (LF) levels were determined in elderly in patients with infection and compared with age- and sex-matched healthy and hospital controls and young healthy blood donors. The median LF level in infection (800 ng/mL) was significantly higher than in healthy elderly living in old people's home (300 ng/mL) or elderly hospital controls (298 ng/mL) (p less than 0.01 in each case). Plasma LF correlated significantly with elastase alpha-1-proteinase inhibitor complex (EPIC) (Rs = 0.8, p less than 0.01) and C-reactive protein (CRP) (Rs = 0.45, p less than 0.02), but not with erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) or white blood cell counts. We conclude that plasma LF, like CRP and EPIC, is a marker of infection in elderly individuals.
Insights
Plasma lactoferrin (LF) is a reliable infection marker in elderly patients. Elevated LF levels in infected individuals significantly exceeded those in healthy controls, indicating its diagnostic potential.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Infectious Diseases
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Infection diagnosis in the elderly can be challenging.
- Biomarkers are crucial for timely and accurate diagnosis.
- Lactoferrin (LF) is a protein with known antimicrobial properties.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate plasma lactoferrin (LF) as a potential biomarker for infection in elderly individuals.
- To compare LF levels in infected elderly patients with healthy elderly and young controls.
Main Methods:
- Plasma LF levels were measured in elderly patients with infections.
- LF levels were compared against age- and sex-matched healthy elderly controls, hospital controls, and young healthy blood donors.
- Correlations between LF and other inflammatory markers (elastase alpha-1-proteinase inhibitor complex [EPIC], C-reactive protein [CRP], erythrocyte sedimentation rate [ESR], white blood cell counts) were analyzed.
Main Results:
- Median plasma LF levels were significantly higher in infected elderly patients (800 ng/mL) compared to healthy elderly (300 ng/mL) and hospital controls (298 ng/mL).
- Plasma LF showed a significant positive correlation with EPIC (Rs = 0.8) and CRP (Rs = 0.45).
- No significant correlation was found between plasma LF and ESR or white blood cell counts.
Conclusions:
- Plasma lactoferrin (LF) serves as a valuable marker for detecting infection in the elderly.
- LF demonstrates comparable utility to established markers like CRP and EPIC in this population.
- Further research can explore LF's role in specific infections and its clinical application.