Evidence map›Paper›PMID 29777383›Full record

ArticleSupportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer2018

Predictive value of PCT and IL-6 for bacterial infection in children with cancer and febrile neutropenia.

Hilde T van der Galiën, Erik A H Loeffen, Karin G E Miedema, Wim J E Tissing

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 14 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
14citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

14 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Comparison of plasma cytokine expression in adult haematological malignancy patients with bacterial and/or fungal infections.Clinical & translational oncology : official publication of the Federation of Spanish Oncology Societies and of the National Cancer Institute of Mexico · 2026
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  4. Review
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  6. Article
  7. Article
  8. Application of Procalcitonin for the Rapid Diagnosis ofDiagnostics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2022
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  10. Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Hilde T van der GaliënUniversity of Groningen, Beatrix Children's Hospital, Department of Pediatric Oncology, University Medical Center Groningen, PO Box 30.001, 9700 RB, Groningen, the Netherlands.
Erik A H LoeffenUniversity of Groningen, Beatrix Children's Hospital, Department of Pediatric Oncology, University Medical Center Groningen, PO Box 30.001, 9700 RB, Groningen, the Netherlands.
Karin G E MiedemaUniversity of Groningen, Beatrix Children's Hospital, Department of Pediatric Oncology, University Medical Center Groningen, PO Box 30.001, 9700 RB, Groningen, the Netherlands.
Wim J E TissingUniversity of Groningen, Beatrix Children's Hospital, Department of Pediatric Oncology, University Medical Center Groningen, PO Box 30.001, 9700 RB, Groningen, the Netherlands. w.j.e.tissing@umcg.nl.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeOnly a third of children with cancer and febrile neutropenia (FN) have a proven bacterial infection; nevertheless, most children are hospitalized and treated with intravenous antibiotics. Several biomarkers have been proposed as predictive markers for bacterial infection in this population. We aimed to evaluate the role of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and procalcitonin (PCT) in diagnosing bacterial infection in children with cancer and FN.

methodsThe study population was derived from a prospective database (2006-2013, IL-8 study) comprising children with cancer who presented with FN. From stored plasma samples (taken at admission and/or at 12-24 h), we determined the PCT and IL-6 levels. Consequently, we explored their relation with the presence of bacterial infection (positive blood culture, radiologically documented infection or clinical bacterial focus). We predefined cutoff values at 60 ng/L for IL-6 and 0.25 ng/mL for PCT.

resultsSeventy-seven FN episodes in 55 children with cancer were included. In 18 episodes (23.4%), a bacterial infection was documented. Both at presentation and after 12-24 h, median values of IL-6 and PCT were significantly higher in patients with a bacterial infection compared to patients without a bacterial infection. With both biomarkers above cutoff values, sensitivity was 93% (with either one, this was even 100%). The identified group at low risk for bacterial infection comprised 41% of the population.

conclusionPCT and IL-6 are promising markers in identifying bacterial infection in children with cancer and FN. In a subsequent project, we will incorporate these biomarkers in a risk assessment model that we will test prospectively in a clinical trial.

Indexed as

AdolescentBacterial InfectionsBiomarkersCalcitoninChemotherapy-Induced Febrile NeutropeniaChildChild, PreschoolCohort StudiesC-Reactive ProteinFemaleHumansInfantInterleukin-6MaleNeoplasmsNetherlandsBiomarkersCalcitoninC-Reactive ProteinInterleukin-6Protein PrecursorsBacterial infectionBiomarkersFebrile neutropeniaInterleukin-6Pediatric oncologyProcalcitonin

Identifiers

PMID29777383
PMCPMC6182367

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.