Predictive value of procalcitonin for the therapeutic response of patients with uroseptic shock: a retrospective case-control study.

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the predictive value of procalcitonin (PCT) in assessing the therapeutic response of patients with uroseptic shock.

METHODS

This retrospective case-control study included 220 patients treated for uroseptic shock at Liyang People's Hospital between January 2018 and December 2023. Patients were classified into high-risk (HR) (n = 116) and low-risk (LR) (n = 104) groups based on their Sepsis-related Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) scores after 14 days of treatment. Demographic, clinical, and laboratory data were collected, and PCT levels were measured using chemiluminescence. Correlation analysis and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis were used to assess the predictive value of PCT.

RESULTS

The HR group had significantly higher PCT levels (25.33 ± 5.32 ng/mL) compared to the LR group (18.47 ± 2.88 ng/mL, P < 0.001). Elevated PCT levels were strongly correlated with poor therapeutic response (rho = -0.635, P < 0.001). Other markers, including hypertension (rho = -0.207, P = 0.002), CRP (rho = -0.224, P < 0.001), IL-6 (rho = -0.200, P = 0.003), TNF-α (rho = -0.151, P = 0.025), NEUT% (rho = -0.208, P = 0.002), GGT (rho = -0.160, P = 0.017), and BUN (rho = -0.198, P = 0.003), also showed significant negative correlations with treatment outcome. Conversely, PLT (rho = 0.156, P = 0.021) and the CD4+/CD8+ ratio (rho = 0.242, P < 0.001) were positively correlated with better treatment outcome. ROC analysis revealed an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.867 for PCT, indicating its strong predictive value.

CONCLUSIONS

PCT level is a robust predictor of therapeutic response in uroseptic shock patients and may be integrated into clinical protocols for sepsis management.