The comparisons of procalcitonin and age between mild and severe Hand, foot, and mouth disease
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Published on: March 11, 2022
Jing Wang1, Ji-Shan Zheng1, Ya-Hua Zhang1
1Department of Pediatric, Ningbo Women and Children's Hospital, Ningbo, China.
Insights
Early identification of severe Hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) is crucial. Lower age and higher procalcitonin (PCT) levels are key indicators for severe HFMD in children.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Infectious Diseases
- Clinical Diagnostics
Background:
- Hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) is a common childhood illness, typically mild but occasionally severe.
- Early detection of severe HFMD cases is vital for timely and effective medical intervention.
- Procalcitonin (PCT) is recognized as an early sepsis marker, suggesting potential utility in HFMD severity assessment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the role of procalcitonin (PCT) levels, age, and lymphocyte subsets in the early diagnosis of severe HFMD.
- To differentiate between mild and severe forms of HFMD based on specific clinical and laboratory markers.
- To assess the diagnostic significance of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) in severe HFMD.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 183 children diagnosed with HFMD between January 2020 and August 2021.
- Classification of patients into mild (76) and severe (107) groups based on clinical criteria.
- Comparison of procalcitonin (PCT) levels, lymphocyte subsets, and clinical data between groups using statistical tests (Student's t-test, Chi-squared test).
Main Results:
- Severe HFMD cases were significantly associated with lower age at onset (P<0.001) and higher blood PCT levels (P=0.001) compared to mild cases.
- Lymphocyte subset percentages (T cells, B cells, NK cells) did not differ significantly between mild and severe HFMD forms in children under 3 years old.
- N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) data was evaluated but not explicitly detailed in the provided results summary.
Conclusions:
- Age and blood procalcitonin (PCT) levels are critical factors for the early identification of severe Hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD).
- These markers can aid clinicians in distinguishing severe cases, enabling prompt management.
- Further research may explore the combined utility of these markers for improved diagnostic accuracy.
Background:
Hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) is an epidemic infectious disease in children, usually associated with fever, mouth lesions, and limb rashes. Although benign and self-limiting, it can be dangerous or even fatal in rare cases. Early identification of severe cases is crucial to ensure optimal care. Procalcitonin (PCT) is an early marker for predicting sepsis. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to investigate the significance of PCT levels, age, lymphocyte subsets, N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) in the early diagnosis of severe HFMD.
Methods:
Using strict inclusion and exclusion criteria, we retrospectively enrolled 183 children with HFMD between January 2020 and August 2021 and divided them into mild (76 cases) and severe (107 cases) groups according to their condition. Data on the patients' PCT levels, lymphocyte subsets, and clinical characteristics at admission were evaluated and compared using the Student's t-test and χ2 test.
Results:
We found that compared with mild disease forms, the severe disease forms were associated with higher blood PCT levels (P=0.001) and lower ages of onset (P<0.001). The percentages of lymphocyte subsets, including suppressor T cells (CD3+CD8+), T lymphocytes (CD3+), T helper cells (CD3+CD4+), natural killer cells (CD16+56+), and B lymphocytes (CD19+), were identical between the two disease forms in patients under 3 years of age.
Conclusions:
Age and blood PCT levels play a vital role in the early identification of severe HFMD.
