Procalcitonin (PCT)

Rapid CDIA^TM Procalcitonin pylori kits are intended for the detection of procalcitonin in aid to the diagnosing and treatment of severe, bacterial infection and sepsis.

 

Procalcitonin (PCT) is a small protein that comprises 116 amino acid residues with a molecular weight of approximately 13 kDa which was first described by Moullec et al. in 1984.
PCT is produced normally in C-cells of the thyroid glands. In 1993, the elevated level of PCT in patients with a system infection of bacterial origin was reported and PCT is now considered to be the main marker of disorders accompanied by systemic inflammation and sepsis. The diagnostic value of PCT is important due to the close correlation between PCT concentration and the severity of inflammation. It was shown that “inflammatory” PCT is not produced in C-cells. Cells of neuroendocrine origin are presumably the source of PCT during inflammation.