Background: A prospective clinical study was performed to assess the a
ccuracy of procalcitonin in 70 patients with elective colorectal or ao
rtal surgery and to compare it with inflammatory mediators. Also the e
arly prediction of complications and the outcome of these patients was
taken into account, Methods: Laboratory variables and cytokine determ
ination were obtained preoperatively on the day of operation and posto
peratively on a daily basis from day 1 to 5, and on days 7 and early r
ecognition of complications and alterations in the production of proca
lcitonin and cytokines in order to detect severe infective complicatio
ns. Results: Procalcitonin was closely related to postoperative compli
cations with significantly elevated levels at day 1 after surgery. The
plasma concentrations of IL-6 increase on days 1-3 without a differen
ce in the groups, also C-reactive protein demonstrates no differences.
Conclusion: Procalcitonin presents itself as a new parameter of infec
tion and sepsis. In the postoperative period PCT seems to be an intere
sting marker of early prediction of infective complications when high
postoperative levels are found. Under routine conditions procalcitonin
is a valid reproducible and detectable parameter.