Early diagnosis of an infection in neutropenic cancer patients is critical for timely treatment. But the diagnosis of an infection in these patients, especially at an early stage, can be very challenging. Therefore, there is a great need for sensitive biomarkers that can rapidly predict an infection and provide possible outcomes. We have already reported that soluble decoy receptor 3 (DcR3) has the potential to be a clinically relevant biomarker of sepsis. To further investigate its value in predicting infections and sepsis in neutopenic cancer patients, we propose to measure DcR3 levels in a large number of archived sera collected from neutropenic cancer patients with and without an infection. Data will be analyzed to demonstrate both the diagnostic and the prognostic value of serum DcR3 in neutropenic infection/sepsis. Also, DcR3 values will be compared with those of PCT (procalcitonin), a clinically available biomarker of sepsis. The positive outcome of this study wil provide a direct justification for further developing our proprietary DcR3 immunoassay for future clinical use.
Public Health Relevance Statement:
Public Health Relevance: Cancer patients undergone cancer therapy such as chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and bone marrow transplant are highly susceptible to infection because their immune system has been severely weakened in its ability to fight off opportunistic pathogens. Serious complications of an infection are the leading cause of death among these patients. Early diagnosis of an infection is critical for timely lifesaving treatment. But the diagnosis of an infection in these patients can be challenging. Therefore, we propose to invent a novel biological marker that is highly superior to predict infection and to provide possible outcomes. If such a biomarker becomes available, it will improve success of therapy and quality of patients' life.
Project Terms:
Antibiotic Resistance; Antibiotic Therapy; Antibiotics; Antigen-Presenting Cells; Antigens; Archives; Bacteria; Bacterial Antigens; Bacterial Infections; Biological Markers; Blood; Blood specimen; Body Fluids; Bone Marrow Transplantation; Cancer Patient; cancer therapy; Cause of Death; Cells; Characteristics; chemotherapy; Clinical; clinically relevant; commercialization; cytokine; Data; decoy receptor 3; Diagnosis; Diagnostic; Early Diagnosis; Endothelial Cells; Epithelial Cells; Etiology; Evaluation; Family; Fever; fighting; Future; high risk; Human; Immune response; Immune system; Immunity; Immunoassay; Immunosuppressive Agents; improved; Infection; insight; Invaded; leukemia; Life; Measurement; Measures; Medical; member; Methods; Modality; Mortality Vital Statistics; Nature; Neutropenia; neutrophil; Nosocomial Infections; novel; Operative Surgical Procedures; Outcome; outcome forecast; Outcome Study; pathogen; Pathogen detection; Pathogenesis; patient population; Patients; Physicians; procalcitonin; Proteins; public health relevance; Radiation therapy; Recombinants; Reporting; Role; Sampling; Sensitivity and Specificity; Sepsis; Sepsis Syndrome; Serum; Severity of illness; Source; Staging; success; Symptoms; Technology; Therapeutic; tool; Transgenic Mice; Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor
