Diagnostic Accuracy of Infection Biomarkers in the Initial Investigation of Patients With Suspected Pneumonia

Pneumonia, Bacterial Clinical Trial

Official title:

What is the Diagnostic and Prognostic Accuracy of C-reactive Protein, Serum Procalcitonin and Soluble Urokinase Plasminogen Activator Receptor in the Initial Investigation of Patients With Suspected Community-acquired Pneumonia

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT04652167
• Other study ID #: SHS-ED-11d-2020
• Status: Completed
• Start date: March 1, 2021
• Est. completion date: June 1, 2022

Study information

• Verified date: September 2022
• Source: University of Southern Denmark
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Observational

Clinical Trial Summary

The aim of this study is to investigate the diagnostic and prognostic value of C-reactive protein (CRP), serum procalcitonin (PCT) and soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR) in the initial investigation of patients acute hospitalized with suspected community-acquired-pneumonia (CAP)

Description:

Target pneumonia treatment should be initiated within a few hours, which is why early and accurate diagnosis is extremely important. Uncertain or delayed diagnosis will often lead to an overconsumption of broad-spectrum antibiotics, which contributes to increased development of resistant bacteria and thus threaten the treatment options of the future. Pneumonia diagnosis is primarily made today on the basis of clinical symptoms and findings in the form of cough, vomiting, chest pain, fever, shortness of breath, supplemented with X-ray of the lungs, relevant blood tests and analysis of expectoration. However, X-ray is an imprecise diagnostic tool. The diagnosis of CAP is challenged by nonspecific symptoms, uncertain diagnostic methods and waiting time for test results up to several days.

Therefore, numerous studies have investigated biomarkers that can possibly support the diagnosis of CAP. C-reactive protein (CRP) and serum procalcitonin (PCT) are biomarkers that may distinguish CAP from other causes of acute respiratory infections. The CRP biomarker has been endorsed as a guide for antibiotic treatment by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and PCT was suggested by the American Infectious Diseases Society of America. Soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR) has emerged as a potentially novel biomarker for inflammatory diseases including pneumonia. Several studies have highlighted suPAR as a significant prognostic mortality marker and strongly related to disease severity and worse outcome in a variety of conditions. It is also a promising biological marker in the diagnosis of CAP.

The diagnostic value of the optimal biomarkers for the diagnosis of CAP remains controversial. The investigators hypothesize that serum CRP, PTC and suPAR have an impact on diagnosing, prognosis, and treatment of patients with a verified community-acquired-pneumonia. The objectives of the study are:

• To identify the diagnostic accuracy of CRP, PCT and suPAR in community-acquired pneumonia

• To identify the prognostic value of CRP, PCT and suPAR in relation to adverse events

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Enrollment: 411
• Est. completion date: June 1, 2022
• Est. primary completion date: February 28, 2022
• Accepts healthy volunteers: No
• Gender: All
• Age group: 18 Years and older

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• Adult patients = 18 years old

• Patients suspected with pneumonia by the attending physician. The physician will base his/her suspicion on e.g. clinical symptoms such as cough, increased sputum production, chest tightness, dyspnea and fever > 38°C, and indication for chest x-ray

Exclusion Criteria:

• If the attending physician considers that participation will delay a life-saving treatment or patient needs direct transfer to the intensive care unit.

• Admission within the last 14 days

• Verified COVID-19 disease within 14 days before admission

• Pregnant women

• Severe immunodeficiencies: Primary immunodeficiencies and secondary immunodeficiencies (HIV positive CD4 <200, Patients receiving immunosuppressive treatment (ATC L04A), Corticosteroid treatment (>20 mg/day prednisone or equivalent for >14 days within the last 30 days), Chemotherapy within 30 days)

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Pneumonia
• Pneumonia, Bacterial

Intervention

Diagnostic Test:
• PCT
Serum PCT concentration is quantified with an automated sandwich immunoassay "ECLIA" (Elecsys®, BRAHMS PCT-analyses) on Cobas e801. Calibration (BRAHMS PCT LIA assay) is performed once per reagent lot and no later than 24 h after Cobas e pack has been registered in the instrument. Quality control is performed after each calibration.
• suPAR
Serum suPAR was measured using suPARnostic© Turbilatex assay reagents (validated on Cobas© c111) protocol for Cobas© c702 and c502 applying the Multi-Pack cassettes (Roche Diagnostics, Mannheim, Germany). Calibration is performed at least once a month or in connection to a new batch of TurbiLatex reagents, after calibration a quality control is performed.
• Standard care
Standard care is the measurement of CRP (C-reactive protein) will be measured with C - reactive protein (CRP4) immunoturbidimetric assay (Tina-quant®, Roche) on Roche/Hitachi cobas© systems c701/702. Calibration is performed (Tina-quant® C - reactive protein IV) once per reagent lot and after 6 months using the same reagent lot. Quality control is required after calibration and according manufacturing instructions.

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
Denmark	Hospital of Southern Jutland	Aabenraa

Sponsors (1)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
University of Southern Denmark

Country where clinical trial is conducted

Denmark, 

References & Publications (7)

Hey J, Thompson-Leduc P, Kirson NY, Zimmer L, Wilkins D, Rice B, Iankova I, Krause A, Schonfeld SA, DeBrase CR, Bozzette S, Schuetz P. Procalcitonin guidance in patients with lower respiratory tract infections: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Clin Chem Lab Med. 2018 Jul 26;56(8):1200-1209. doi: 10.1515/cclm-2018-0126. — View Citation

Johnstone J, Mandell L. Guidelines and quality measures: do they improve outcomes of patients with community-acquired pneumonia? Infect Dis Clin North Am. 2013 Mar;27(1):71-86. doi: 10.1016/j.idc.2012.11.001. Review. — View Citation

Loonen AJM, Kesarsing C, Kusters R, Hilbink M, Wever PC, van den Brule AJC. High pneumococcal DNA load, procalcitonin and suPAR levels correlate to severe disease development in patients with pneumococcal pneumonia. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis. 2017 Sep;36(9):1541-1547. doi: 10.1007/s10096-017-2963-2. Epub 2017 Mar 29. — View Citation

Musher DM, Thorner AR. Community-acquired pneumonia. N Engl J Med. 2014 Oct 23;371(17):1619-28. doi: 10.1056/NEJMra1312885. Review. — View Citation

Ni W, Han Y, Zhao J, Cui J, Wang K, Wang R, Liu Y. Serum soluble urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor as a biological marker of bacterial infection in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Sci Rep. 2016 Dec 19;6:39481. doi: 10.1038/srep39481. Review. — View Citation

Song S, Jia Q, Chen X, Lei Z, He X, Leng Z, Chen S. Serum suPAR associated with disease severity and mortality in elderly patients with community-acquired pneumonia. Scand J Clin Lab Invest. 2020 Oct;80(6):515-522. doi: 10.1080/00365513.2020.1795920. Epub 2020 Jul 27. — View Citation

Wussler D, Kozhuharov N, Tavares Oliveira M, Bossa A, Sabti Z, Nowak A, Murray K, du Fay de Lavallaz J, Badertscher P, Twerenbold R, Shrestha S, Flores D, Nestelberger T, Walter J, Boeddinghaus J, Zimmermann T, Koechlin L, von Eckardstein A, Breidthardt T, Mueller C. Clinical Utility of Procalcitonin in the Diagnosis of Pneumonia. Clin Chem. 2019 Dec;65(12):1532-1542. doi: 10.1373/clinchem.2019.306787. Epub 2019 Oct 15. — View Citation

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Other	CURB-65 score for predicting mortality in community-acquired-pneumonia:	CURB-65 score consists of: Confusion of new onset, Blood Urea nitrogen greater than 7 mmol/L (19 mg/dL), respiratory rate of 30 breaths per minute or greater, blood pressure less than 90 mmHg systolic or diastolic blood pressure 60 mmHg or less and age 65 or older. The score stratify patients to groups 1 (mild pneumonia), 2 (moderate pneumonia) and 3-5 (severe pneumonia).	within 4 hours from admission
Other	Pneumonia severity index (PSI):	Risk classes to predict the severity of pneumonia. Scores are given based on demographics, comorbidity, clinical measurements and physical Exam Findings (<70 = Risk Class II, 71-90 = Risk Class III, 91-130 = Risk Class IV, >130 = Risk Class V)	within 4 hours from admission
Other	Microbial agents	Microbial agents (bacteria and viruses) identified in standard culture, PCR and multiplex PCR. Sputum samples are collected within 1 hour from patient admission.; Descriptive findings in percentage will be registered	results within 7 days from sputum sample collection
Other	Level of markers of lung injury	serum surfactant protein D, KL-6 and YKL-40	within 4 hours from admission
Primary	Diagnostic of community acquired pneumonia	The percentage of patients diagnosed with community-acquired pneumonia determined by an expert panel. This outcome measure is a binary variable - verified pneumonia or no pneumonia.; The expert panel consists of two independent consultants from the emergency department with experience in infection and emergency medicine, who individually will determine whether the patient admitted with suspected community-acquired pneumonia, had the diagnosis. The diagnosis will be based on all available relevant information from the patient medical record within 48 hours from admission including computed tomography. A standardized template will be used. Disagreement will be discussed until a consensus is reached.; .	expert assessment within 3 months after patient discharge from the hospital
Secondary	Intensive care unit (ICU) treatment	Transfer to the intensive care unit will be recorded during the current hospitalization as a binary variable (transferred/not-transferred)	within 60 days from admission to the emergency department
Secondary	Length of hospital stay (LOS	Defined as the time (in days) spent in hospital during the current admission. Measured in days from admission to hospital discharge. Discharge date minus admission date.	within 60 days from current admission to the emergency department
Secondary	30-days mortality	Mortality within 30 days from admission to the Emergency Department	30 days from the admission to the emergency department
Secondary	90-days mortality	Mortality within 90 days from admission to the Emergency Department	90 days from the admission to the emergency department
Secondary	Readmission	If a subject is admitted over a 30 day period after the current hospitalization discharge measured as a binary outcome Re-admissions/not re-admissions	within 30 days from the discharge to the hospital
Secondary	In-hospital mortality	Patient mortality during the current hospitalization. Binary outcome - Died/ Not died	within 60 days from admission to the emergency department