Serum of interleukin‐6 and procalcitonin as early diagnostic markers for the identification of poor hematopoietic reconstitution following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

Abstract Background Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo‐HSCT) remains a potential curative option for the treatment of various hematologic diseases. Poor hematopoietic reconstitution (PHR) is a common and serious complicating disease after allo‐HSCT. The authors conducted a case‐control study to determine the potential value of serum interleukin (IL)‐6 and procalcitonin (PCT) levels during the peritransplantation period in predicting PHR after allo‐HSCT. Methods The concentrations of IL‐6 and PCT were compared, and a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was constructed to determine the optimal cutoff values. Sensitivity and specificity were subsequently calculated. Results In our study, the levels of IL‐6 and PCT were significantly elevated in patients with PHR compared to those in good hematopoietic restitution (GHR). The logistic regression analysis revealed that IL‐6 and PCT posttransplantation were significant predictors of PHR after allo‐HSCT. The calculation of the area under the curve (AUC) of IL‐6 and PCT in predicting PHR was 0.805 and 0.724, respectively. The optimal cutoff values for PHR were 41.8 pg/mL and 0.404 ng/mL, with a sensitivity of 73.7% and 52.6% and a specificity of 81% and 85.7%, respectively. The AUC‐ROC of IL‐6 combined with PCT for predicting the PHR was 0.801, with a sensitivity of 75.4% and a specificity of 77.8%. Conclusion IL‐6 and PCT can serve as potential biomarkers to predict PHR after allo‐HSCT.