2009 Oct – The role of procalcitonin in community-acquired pneumonia

Dr Lee Man Po, Department of Medicine, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Oct 2009, in HKTS Newslettter
What is procalcitonin (PCT)?
PCT is an acute phase reactant which rapidly increases in level in inflammatory diseases. It can be either hormonally expressed by neuroendocrine cells (such as the thyroid and K-cells of the lung) or released in a cytokine-like manner by parenchymal cells in liver, kidney, and monocytes.1 PCT levels are released by parenchymal cells in response to microbial toxins and to certain host pro-inflammatory mediators (IL-1β, TNF-α, and IL-6).


Weblink here