Recombinant Human Procalcitonin

Procalcitonin (PCT) is a precursor protein of the hormone calcitonin.¹ PCT is found in elevated concentrations in the blood circulation during systemic bacterial, fungal or protozoal infection. It is a marker of severe bacterial infections and organ failure due to sepsis.² In contrast to Calcitonin that is primarily synthesized in the thyroid, Procalcitonin is the prohormone that is synthesized in many different tissues of infected organs. High Procalcitonin levels can also be seen in non bacterial diseases such as malaria, severe trauma, burns and medullar carcinoma of the thyroid. Procalcitonin has improved the diagnosis of bacterial infections.³ Monitoring of PCT is a helpful tool for guiding antibiotic treatment in surgical intensive care patients with severe sepsis. This may contribute to an optimized antibiotic regimen with beneficial effects on microbial resistances and costs in intensive care medicine.⁴

Solution

The protein is 0.2 µm filtered and supplied in 1x PBS containing 50% glycerol.

The protein should be stored at -20°C.

Next Day Ambient

1. Schmidt, J. et al. (1999) Crit Care 3: 45
2. Nobori, T. et al. (2008) Shock
3. Müller, B. et al. (2008) Ther Umsch 65: 559
4. Von Spiegel, T. et al. (2009) Langenbecks Arch Surg 394: 221