Diagnostic validity of Prokineticin-2 compared to Procalcitonin and Blood culture in patients with sepsis

Procalcitonin is used to diagnose sepsis in critically ill patients. But Procalcitonin is not specific to sepsis because it can be raised in cases of burns, trauma etc. Procalcitonin sensitivity and specificity are 64.7 percent and 50 percent on day 1 and   95.5 percent and 95.1 percent on 28-day mortality respectively. These factors lead to validate new sepsis marker that is, Prokineticin 2. Prokineticin-2 (PK-2) is considered a next generation inflammatory marker with superior diagnostic value. Prokineticin-2 sensitivity and specificity are 70.6 percent and 50 percent on day 1 and   98.4 percent and 95.5 percent on 28-day mortality respectively. As compared to traditional biomarkers, Prokineticin 2 can be more appropriate method to diagnose sepsis in patients

Procalcitonin PCT is used to diagnose sepsis in critically ill patients. Procalcitonin (PCT), a biomarker elevated in bacterial infections, has been extensively studied for its potential role in sepsis diagnosis. The diagnostic accuracy of Procalcitonin in identifying sepsis among adult patients admitted to emergency departments. the authors aimed to clarify the utility of PCT as a reliable diagnostic tool, addressing inconsistencies in previous research and providing updated evidence to guide clinical decision-making

NEED FOR STUDY

A study published in year 2025 by Bhat et.al pointed out that Procalcitonin was assessed through point of care testing in ICU whereas PK-2 was measured using ELISA test in laboratory therefore stating possibility that using two different methods for two biomarkers may have introduced variability and potential errors in results.

Therefore, keeping these points in view, we would like to assay Procalcitonin and Prokineticin-2 using ELISA and also want to compare diagnostic validity of Prokineticin-2 with procalcitonin and blood culture for diagnosing sepsis on early basis