Which is biomarker of in ventilation associated pneumonia: (A) Procalcitonin, (B) C - reactive protein, (C) ESR, (D) CA19-9
Answer is A. Procalcitonin (PCT) is a precursor of calcitonin that is constitutively secreted by C cells of the thyroid gland and K - cells of the lung. In healthy individuals PCT is undetectable when stimulated by endotoxin PCT is rapidly produced.