Calprotectin, a Promising Serological Biomarker for the Early Diagnosis of Superinfections with Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria in Patients with COVID-19

Overview

Journal Int J Mol Sci

Publisher MDPI

Specialties Biochemistry
Chemistry
Molecular Biology

Date 2024 Sep 14

PMID 39273246

Authors

Dennis Keller

Patricia Mester

Ulrich Rath

Sabrina Krautbauer

Stephan Schmid

Verena Greifenberg

Martina Muller

Claudia Kunst

Christa Buechler

Vlad Pavel

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Bacterial and fungal superinfections are common in COVID-19, and early diagnosis can enable timely intervention. Serum calprotectin levels increase with bacterial, fungal, and viral infections. This study evaluated serum calprotectin as a diagnostic and prognostic tool for microbial superinfections in COVID-19. Serum samples from adult patients with moderate and severe COVID-19 were collected during hospitalization from 2020 to 2024. Calprotectin levels were measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in 63 patients with moderate COVID-19, 60 patients with severe COVID-19, and 34 healthy individuals. Calprotectin serum levels were elevated in patients with moderate COVID-19 compared with controls, and these levels were further increased in the severe cases. Patients with severe COVID-19 and vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) bacteremia had elevated calprotectin levels, but their C-reactive protein and procalcitonin levels were not increased. Fungal superinfections and herpes simplex virus reactivation did not change the calprotectin levels. A calprotectin concentration of 31.29 µg/mL can be used to diagnose VRE bloodstream infection with 60% sensitivity and 96% specificity. These data suggest that serum calprotectin may be a promising biomarker for the early detection of VRE bloodstream infections in patients with COVID-19.

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