A new marker for the diagnosis of sepsis: Presepsin

Abstract

Mehmet Agilli, Irfan Sener, Fatih Yesildal, Tevfik Honca, Ibrahim Aydin, Emin Ozgur Akgul, Halil Yaman

Sepsis is a clinical syndrome that complicates severe infection. It is characterized by the cardinal signs of inflammation (vasodilatation, leukocyte accumulation, increased microvascular permeability) occurring in tissues which are remote from the infection. The clinical definitions of sepsis are basically nonspecific, often resulting in the delay of the diagnosis. During the last decade, a variety of different molecules have been suggested as clinical biomarkers in sepsis, most of which are still in experimental stage. However, some have came into use in clinical practice and have evolved as valuable tools for diagnosis, therapy monitoring, and outcome prediction. Presepsin, which is approximately 13 kDa, has been identified as a protein whose levels increase specifically in the blood of sepsis patients. Presepsin is thought to be a more specific and sensitive marker for the diagnosis of sepsis compared with interleukin-6 and procalcitonin (PCT). Presepsin concentrations in blood were increased faster than PCT and CRP in sepsis patients. Although there are a lot of biomarkers to diagnose sepsis, presepsin could be a new candidate for this purpose. In this mini review, we discussed a new biomarker, presepsin, and its clinical relevance