Clinical trial NCT04652167: Diagnostic Accuracy of Infection Biomarkers in the Initial Investigation of Patients With Suspected Pneumonia
Official title: What is the Diagnostic and Prognostic Accuracy of C-reactive Protein, Serum Procalcitonin and Soluble Urokinase Plasminogen Activator Receptor in the Initial Investigation of Patients With Suspected Community-acquired Pneumonia
Study type: OBSERVATIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Conditions: Pneumonia, Bacterial
Keywords: C-reactive protein,
serum procalcitonin,
soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor
Lead sponsor: University of Southern Denmark
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2020-12-03
Enrollment: 411
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Observational model: COHORT
Time perspective: PROSPECTIVE
Sampling method: PROBABILITY_SAMPLE
Study population: Patients admitted at the emergency department with suspected pneumonia by the attending physician.

Brief summary: The aim of this study is to investigate the diagnostic and prognostic value of C-reactive protein (CRP), serum procalcitonin (PCT) and soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR) in the initial investigation of patients acute hospitalized with suspected community-acquired-pneumonia (CAP)

Detailed description: Target pneumonia treatment should be initiated within a few hours, which is why early and accurate diagnosis is extremely important. Uncertain or delayed diagnosis will often lead to an overconsumption of broad-spectrum antibiotics, which contributes to increased development of resistant bacteria and thus threaten the treatment options of the future. Pneumonia diagnosis is primarily made today on the basis of clinical symptoms and findings in the form of cough, vomiting, chest pain, fever, shortness of breath, supplemented with X-ray of the lungs, relevant blood tests and analysis of expectoration. However, X-ray is an imprecise diagnostic tool. The diagnosis of CAP is challenged by nonspecific symptoms, uncertain diagnostic methods and waiting time for test results up to several days.

Therefore, numerous studies have investigated biomarkers that can possibly support the diagnosis of CAP. C-reactive protein (CRP) and serum procalcitonin (PCT) are biomarkers that may distinguish CAP from other causes of acute respiratory infections. The CRP biomarker has been endorsed as a guide for antibiotic treatment by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and PCT was suggested by the American Infectious Diseases Society of America. Soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR) has emerged as a potentially novel biomarker for inflammatory diseases including pneumonia. Several studies have highlighted suPAR as a significant prognostic mortality marker and strongly related to disease severity and worse outcome in a variety of conditions. It is also a promising biological marker in the diagnosis of CAP.

The diagnostic value of the optimal biomarkers for the diagnosis of CAP remains controversial. The investigators hypothesize that serum CRP, PTC and suPAR have an impact on diagnosing, prognosis, and treatment of patients with a verified community-acquired-pneumonia. The objectives of the study are:

* To identify the diagnostic accuracy of CRP, PCT and suPAR in community-acquired pneumonia
* To identify the prognostic value of CRP, PCT and suPAR in relation to adverse events

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Adult patients ≥ 18 years old
* Patients suspected with pneumonia by the attending physician. The physician will base his/her suspicion on e.g. clinical symptoms such as cough, increased sputum production, chest tightness, dyspnea and fever \> 38⁰C, and indication for chest x-ray

Exclusion Criteria:

* If the attending physician considers that participation will delay a life-saving treatment or patient needs direct transfer to the intensive care unit.
* Admission within the last 14 days
* Verified COVID-19 disease within 14 days before admission
* Pregnant women
* Severe immunodeficiencies: Primary immunodeficiencies and secondary immunodeficiencies (HIV positive CD4 \<200, Patients receiving immunosuppressive treatment (ATC L04A), Corticosteroid treatment (\>20 mg/day prednisone or equivalent for \>14 days within the last 30 days), Chemotherapy within 30 days)

Primary outcomes:
measure: Diagnostic of community acquired pneumonia
timeFrame: expert assessment within 3 months after patient discharge from the hospital
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Intensive care unit (ICU) treatment
timeFrame: within 60 days from admission to the emergency department
measure: Length of hospital stay (LOS
timeFrame: within 60 days from current admission to the emergency department
measure: 30-days mortality
timeFrame: 30 days from the admission to the emergency department
measure: 90-days mortality
timeFrame: 90 days from the admission to the emergency department
measure: Readmission
timeFrame: within 30 days from the discharge to the hospital
measure: In-hospital mortality
timeFrame: within 60 days from admission to the emergency department
Other outcomes:
measure: CURB-65 score for predicting mortality in community-acquired-pneumonia:
timeFrame: within 4 hours from admission
measure: Pneumonia severity index (PSI):
timeFrame: within 4 hours from admission
measure: Microbial agents
timeFrame: results within 7 days from sputum sample collection
measure: Level of markers of lung injury
timeFrame: within 4 hours from admission
Locations:
city: Aabenraa
country: Denmark
facility: Hospital of Southern Jutland
Study officials:
affiliation: University Hospital of Southern Denmark
name: Christian Backer Mogensen
role: STUDY_CHAIR
References:
citation: Johnstone J, Mandell L. Guidelines and quality measures: do they improve outcomes of patients with community-acquired pneumonia? Infect Dis Clin North Am. 2013 Mar;27(1):71-86. doi: 10.1016/j.idc.2012.11.001.
citation: Musher DM, Thorner AR. Community-acquired pneumonia. N Engl J Med. 2014 Oct 23;371(17):1619-28. doi: 10.1056/NEJMra1312885. No abstract available.
citation: Hey J, Thompson-Leduc P, Kirson NY, Zimmer L, Wilkins D, Rice B, Iankova I, Krause A, Schonfeld SA, DeBrase CR, Bozzette S, Schuetz P. Procalcitonin guidance in patients with lower respiratory tract infections: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Clin Chem Lab Med. 2018 Jul 26;56(8):1200-1209. doi: 10.1515/cclm-2018-0126.
citation: Wussler D, Kozhuharov N, Tavares Oliveira M, Bossa A, Sabti Z, Nowak A, Murray K, du Fay de Lavallaz J, Badertscher P, Twerenbold R, Shrestha S, Flores D, Nestelberger T, Walter J, Boeddinghaus J, Zimmermann T, Koechlin L, von Eckardstein A, Breidthardt T, Mueller C. Clinical Utility of Procalcitonin in the Diagnosis of Pneumonia. Clin Chem. 2019 Dec;65(12):1532-1542. doi: 10.1373/clinchem.2019.306787. Epub 2019 Oct 15.
citation: Loonen AJM, Kesarsing C, Kusters R, Hilbink M, Wever PC, van den Brule AJC. High pneumococcal DNA load, procalcitonin and suPAR levels correlate to severe disease development in patients with pneumococcal pneumonia. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis. 2017 Sep;36(9):1541-1547. doi: 10.1007/s10096-017-2963-2. Epub 2017 Mar 29.
citation: Ni W, Han Y, Zhao J, Cui J, Wang K, Wang R, Liu Y. Serum soluble urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor as a biological marker of bacterial infection in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Sci Rep. 2016 Dec 19;6:39481. doi: 10.1038/srep39481.
citation: Song S, Jia Q, Chen X, Lei Z, He X, Leng Z, Chen S. Serum suPAR associated with disease severity and mortality in elderly patients with community-acquired pneumonia. Scand J Clin Lab Invest. 2020 Oct;80(6):515-522. doi: 10.1080/00365513.2020.1795920. Epub 2020 Jul 27.
citation: Skjot-Arkil H, Heltborg A, Lorentzen MH, Cartuliares MB, Hertz MA, Graumann O, Rosenvinge FS, Petersen ERB, Ostergaard C, Laursen CB, Skovsted TA, Posth S, Chen M, Mogensen CB. Improved diagnostics of infectious diseases in emergency departments: a protocol of a multifaceted multicentre diagnostic study. BMJ Open. 2021 Sep 30;11(9):e049606. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-049606.