Institute of Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
J Clin Lab Anal. 2013 Jul;27(4):253-60. doi: 10.1002/jcla.21588.
The aim of this study was to investigate the differential plasma levels of lipocalin 2 (LCN2) and its complex with MMP-9 (where MMP is matrix metalloproteinase) before and after antibiotic treatment in hospitalized adult patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP).
Plasma LCN2 and LCN2/MMP-9 complex levels were measured in 61 adult patients with CAP and 60 healthy controls using commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).
A decrease in the number of white blood cells (WBCs) and neutrophils and decreases in the levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), LCN2, and LCN2/MMP-9 complex were observed after antibiotic treatment. The plasma level of LCN2, but not that of CRP, was correlated with the severity of CAP based on the Pneumonia Severity Index (PSI; r = 0.333, P = 0.009), confusion, urea, respiratory rate and blood pressure (CURB)-65 (r = 0.288, P = 0.024), and Acute Physiology And Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) scores (r = 0.328, P = 0.010). LCN2 levels were also significantly correlated with LCN2/MMP-9 levels and the numbers of WBCs or neutrophils.
Plasma levels of LCN2 and the LCN2/MMP-9 complex can act as adjuvant diagnostic biomarkers for CAP. Plasma LCN2 might play a further role in the clinical assessment of the severity of CAP, which could potentially guide the development of future treatment strategies.
本研究旨在探讨社区获得性肺炎（CAP）住院成年患者抗生素治疗前后脂联素 2（LCN2）及其与基质金属蛋白酶 9（MMP）复合物的血浆水平差异。
采用商业酶联免疫吸附试验（ELISA）检测 61 例 CAP 成年患者和 60 例健康对照者的血浆 LCN2 和 LCN2/MMP-9 复合物水平。
抗生素治疗后，白细胞（WBC）和中性粒细胞计数减少，C 反应蛋白（CRP）、LCN2 和 LCN2/MMP-9 复合物水平降低。LCN2 血浆水平（而非 CRP 水平）与肺炎严重指数（PSI；r = 0.333，P = 0.009）、意识障碍、尿素、呼吸频率和血压（CURB）-65（r = 0.288，P = 0.024）和急性生理学和慢性健康评估 II（APACHE II）评分（r = 0.328，P = 0.010）相关。LCN2 水平与 LCN2/MMP-9 水平以及 WBC 或中性粒细胞计数也显著相关。
LCN2 血浆水平及其与 MMP-9 复合物可作为 CAP 的辅助诊断生物标志物。血浆 LCN2 可能在 CAP 严重程度的临床评估中发挥进一步作用，这可能有助于指导未来治疗策略的制定。
