Cytokines are a type of small molecule proteins with broad biological activities that are synthesized and secreted by immune cells (such as monocytes, macrophages, T cells, B cells, NK cells, etc.) and certain non-immune cells (endothelial cells, epithelial cells, fibroblasts, etc.) upon stimulation.
1. Gram-negative (G-) and Gram-positive (G+) bacterial infections can be differentiated
Cytokines as biomarkers can indeed be useful in differentiating between bacterial and non-bacterial infections, as well as bacterial and viral infections, especially in febrile patients. In the context of neutropenic (having an abnormally low count of neutrophils) febrile patients, such as those undergoing chemotherapy for cancer, the risk of infection is significantly higher, and the usual signs of infection might be absent or muted due to the compromised immune response.
2. Using a combination of biomarkers, including cytokines, can aid in confirming the occurrence of an infection and predicting the severity of the disease:
∴ Pro-inflammatory Cytokines: High levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines like IL-1, IL-6, TNF-α, and IFN-γ might suggest bacterial infection, while a different pattern could suggest viral or fungal infections.
∴ Anti-inflammatory Cytokines: Elevated levels of IL-10 and transforming growth factor (TGF)-β might indicate an attempt by the body to control the inflammatory response.
∴ Chemokines: These can be indicative of the type of infection and the site of inflammation.
∴ Procalcitonin: It is another important biomarker that is typically elevated in bacterial infections but remains low in viral and non-infectious causes of inflammation.
∴ C-Reactive Protein (CRP): Though less specific than procalcitonin, CRP is also used widely as a marker of infection and inflammation.
The combination of these biomarkers can provide clinicians with a more complete picture for better diagnosis and management, particularly in patients who are neutropenic and febrile. Furthermore, the kinetics of biomarkers post-treatment initiation can aid in monitoring the response to therapy and guide duration of treatment to avoid under or overtreatment.
2. Suggested testing time and population
∴ Who needs to be tested？
→ Patients with Common Infections
→Diagnose the condition earlier, commence treatment promptly, monitor the effectiveness of the medication more quickly, and adjust the treatment plan as needed.
→Patients with Suspected Infections
→Assess the situation for infections such as Gram-positive (G+), Gram-negative (G-), viruses, etc., to guide medication use.
→Patients on Anti-infective (Antibacterial/Antiviral) or Anti-inflammatory (Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs/Immunomodulators, etc.) Treatment
→Evaluate treatment effectiveness and optimize the treatment regimen.
→Patients with Severe Pneumonia/ARDS/Severe Influenza/Serious Infections/Systemic Inflammation/Fever of Unknown Origin
→Provide an early warning for cytokine storms, timely distinguish between patients’ inflammatory/immune status (SIRS/CARS/MARS), and administer precise treatment.
∴ When to do the test？
→Hospitalized patients' initial admission monitoring: Can be the same as before treatment begins.
→Patients with severe pneumonia/ARDS/serious infections/fever of unknown origin/influenza/systemic inflammation: Monitor once daily.
→Anti-infective (antibacterial/antiviral) / Anti-inflammatory (hormones/non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs/immunomodulators, etc.) therapy: Before and after treatment.
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Advantages of reagent：
Platform advantages: CRET technology，single servings Reagents, No cold chain. The results are more sensitive and accurate
Complete items: 13 indicators to meet the needs of various clinical packages
Simple and efficient: no pretreatment is required for the sample, and the detection time is only 15 minutes
