Blood And Bile Procalcitonin Concentration In Patients With Acute Cholangitis

Abstract

Procalcitonin concentration (PC) was determined in the simultaneously obtained samples of blood serum and bile. 56 patients were examined on 1-3 day after the operation. The subjects were divided into two groups. The main group contain of 31 patients with cholangitis and the comparison group includes 25 patients without inflammation of the bile ducts. The PC level was determined by enzyme immunoassay method with the test systems with sensitivity according to the manufacturer - 0.01 ng/ml. The PC concentration in blood serum fluctuated within wide limits: from 0.005 ng/ml to 10.11 ng/ml and was significantly higher in the main group (p <0.000001). The PC level in bile was lower in comparison with serum and varied from undetectably low (<0.01 ng/ml) to 0.121 ng/ml and was higher in patients with cholangitis. The number of bile samples with PC concentration of more than 0.01 ng/ml in the main group was 77% (24/31) versus 24% (6/25) in the comparison group (χ² = 34.07, p <0.000000). There was no significant linear correlation of PC content between bile and serum in both groups: R = 0.279 in the main group and R = 0.102 in the comparison group. The epithelium of the biliary tract is not a source of PC in patients with cholangitis. PC appears in bile due to exudation of plasma components by inflamed bile duct mucosa.