Interleukin-8 in febrile neutropenic children with cancers: Its diagnostic value for bacteremia/sepsis is superior to that of interleukin-6, mannose binding lectin, procalcitonin and C-reactive protein

The aim of this study was to determine the predictive value of serum interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-8 (IL-8), mannose binding lectin (MBL), procalcitonin (PCT) and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels for bacteremia/sepsis (B/S) at the beginning of a febrile episode in children with chemotherapy-induced febril neutropenia (FN). In a prospective study, 54 febrile neutropenic episodes from 30 pediatric cancer patients were analysed. Samples were obtained in two different clinical periods: afebrile neutropenic (AFN) period after chemotherapy and FN period (on the first day of fever). The highest levels of IL-6, IL-8, MBL and PCT were observed in cases of B/S group. However, only IL-8 levels were significantly higher in patients with B/S than those with clinically or microbiologically documented infection and those with fever of unknown origin (p