Markedly elevated serum level of presepsin in agranulocytosis with hematologic malignancy: A potential prognostic factor in a single-institution retrospective study after granulocyte transfusion.

INTRODUCTION

No established criteria exist for assessing the effectiveness of granulocyte transfusion (GTX) or biomarkers for predicting fatal infections in neutropenia. This study aimed to assess whether a novel sepsis marker, presepsin (P-SEP), is a useful prognostic indicator during GTX.

METHODS

We collected frozen serum from 8 patients who had undergone GTX between September 2022 and October 2023 and measured their P-SEP levels. We compared these results with clinical records and assessed the alterations before and after GTX and their association with prognosis.

RESULTS

The post-transfusion neutrophil count increased in all cases. In 5 of 8 patients (62.5%), P-SEP levels were reduced 1 day after GTX. Pretransfusion P-SEP levels were statistically significantly lower in the group of patients who survived and overcame infection after transfusion (GTX-survived) than in the group of patients who did not survive (GTX-nonsurvived) (1493 pg/mL vs 6658 pg/mL, P =.04). Transfused cell counts and changes in P-SEP levels 1 day after GTX were better in the GTX-survived group than in the GTX-nonsurvived group, although the difference was not statistically significant.

DISCUSSION: Presepsin is a biomarker that can be assessed in patients undergoing GTX for agranulocytosis. A clinically significant increase in P-SEP levels before GTX may indicate ineffective GTX and an unfavorable prognosis.