Recombinant Human Procalcitonin protein

Supplementary information

This supplementary information is collated from multiple sources and compiled automatically.

Procalcitonin also known as PCT is a protein precursor of the hormone calcitonin. It has a molecular mass of about 13 kilodaltons. Procalcitonin is expressed in the thyroid gland typically but can also be produced in other tissues like the liver and kidney during inflammation or sepsis. It gets increasingly produced in response to bacterial infections making it a significant marker for conditions involving systemic inflammation.

Biological function summary

The function of procalcitonin is related to its precursor status for calcitonin which helps regulate calcium homeostasis. During infections PCT levels rise without its cleavage into active calcitonin indicating that its biological role extends beyond calcium regulation. It does not form part of any larger protein complex in its marker role. When released in response to bacterial infections procalcitonin serves as an indicator for the severity of the infection which is particularly useful in distinguishing bacterial from viral infections.

Pathways

Procalcitonin gets involved in the immune response pathway primarily due to its expression during bacterial infections. An important pathway is the inflammatory response where procalcitonin production gets triggered serving as a mediator in immune system activation. It is related to cytokines in the immune response which elevated PCT can represent indirectly indicating the presence and level of infection-driven inflammation.

Procalcitonin levels are used significantly in diagnosing and managing sepsis and bacterial infections. Procalcitonin concentrations rise sharply in a bacterial systemic infection and help differentiate it from viral infections an important diagnostic criterion. Additionally in sepsis another important protein involved is C-reactive protein (CRP) often used alongside PCT as a biomarker for inflammatory states in the body. This relationship underlines the importance of PCT in managing infectious diseases through targeted diagnostic pathways.