Presepsin as a biomarker in perioperative medicine

Presepsin is the soluble fragment of CD14, a multifunctional glycoprotein expressed on the surface of innate immune cells. In healthy individuals, presepsin is present in very low concentrations with reference values ranging from 60 to 382 pg/mL. Several studies have shown that presepsin is a valuable biomarker for sepsis diagnosis in adults. Only lately, presepsin has been evaluated for prediction and early detection of neonatal sepsis and septic shock. Elevated plasma presepsin concentration has also been reported in patients undergoing cardiac and non-cardiac surgery and it has further been evaluated as a potential independent predictor of perioperative cardiovascular complications and mortality. Combined cardiac and inflammatory biomarker evaluation may offer additive predictive information, but further investigations in large populations are required to determine presepsin diagnostic and prognostic value, in order to personalize therapy and reduce surgical patients' morbidity and mortality.