Using sTREM-1 to Diagnose Lung Infections
Author Information
Author(s): Huh Jin Won, Lim Chae-Man, Koh Younsuck, Oh Yeon Mok, Shim Tae Sun, Lee Sang Do, Kim Woo Sung, Kim Dong Soon, Kim Won Dong, Hong Sang-Bum
Primary Institution: Asan Medical Center, College of Medicine, University of Ulsan
Hypothesis
Can soluble triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells-1 (sTREM-1) in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid help differentiate between types of pneumonia in patients with bilateral lung infiltrates?
Conclusion
The sTREM-1 level in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid is a potential marker for distinguishing bacterial pneumonia from other causes in patients with bilateral lung infiltrates.
Supporting Evidence
- sTREM-1 concentrations were significantly higher in patients with bacterial or fungal pneumonia compared to those with viral pneumonia or noninfectious inflammatory disease.
- A cutoff value of more than 184 pg/ml for sTREM-1 yielded a diagnostic sensitivity of 86% and specificity of 90%.
- The area under the ROC curve for sTREM-1 in diagnosing bacterial pneumonia was 0.91.
Takeaway
Doctors can use a special test to check for a substance called sTREM-1 in lung fluid to help figure out if a patient has a bacterial infection in their lungs.
Methodology
A prospective observational study was conducted on 80 patients with bilateral lung infiltrates, measuring sTREM-1 concentrations in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid.
Potential Biases
Two intensivists classified diagnoses without knowledge of sTREM-1 results, but potential bias exists in patient selection and diagnosis.
Limitations
Some patients may have had both noninfectious inflammatory disease and infection, and the study did not include patients with diffuse alveolar hemorrhage.
Participant Demographics
Patients were adults over 18 years old with bilateral lung infiltrates suspected to be due to infectious pneumonia.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.000
Confidence Interval
95% CI 0.83 to 0.98
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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