The Predictive Value of Lubricin in Patients With Infective Endocarditis

Infective endocarditis is a challenging disease with a wide range of clinical presentations, making it difficult to diagnose. Diagnosis primarily relies on clinical suspicion based on symptoms. Blood cultures or other microbial tests confirming the presence of infection and echocardiography are supportive diagnostic tools. Another marker that may become valuable in the near future for diagnosing infective endocarditis is Lubricin. Lubricin, a glycoprotein expressed by the PRG4 gene, has been found to have significantly elevated levels in the plasma of animals with damaged or infected heart valves compared to healthy animals. Furthermore, plasma lubricin levels can potentially serve as a biomarker in situations like endocardial injury and infection. Lubricin and Procalcitonin will be studied from the blood samples routinely collected. During this academic study, procalcitonin and lubricin values will be measured by investigators. Thus, the sensitivity and specificity of the Lubricin parameter in patients with infective endocarditis will be evaluated.