Serum Calprotectin Is a Valid Biomarker in Distinction of Bacterial Urinary Tract Infection From Viral Respiratory Illness in Children Under 3 Years of Age

BACKGROUND: Febrile illnesses in young children can be a major diagnostic challenge, despite the routine use of various laboratory markers. Recent advancements in the understanding of inflammatory processes have highlighted the role of calprotectin, a heterodimer consisting of S100A8 and S100A9 proteins, with many studies suggesting its clinical value as a biomarker of inflammation. This research aimed to evaluate the usefulness of serum calprotectin (sCal) as a biomarker of urinary tract infection (UTI), which was due to its high pooled prevalence and feasibility of urine culture as a diagnostic reference standard selected for a model of bacterial infection in children. METHODS: Febrile children aged 0–36 months with suspected UTI based on positive urinalysis or viral respiratory tract infection were included. Children with significant bacteriuria in urine culture were labeled as cases (n = 58), while those with confirmed viral infection (n = 51), as well as those with suspected UTI but sterile urine culture who went on to develop symptoms consistent with viral respiratory infection (n = 7), were labeled as controls. sCal levels were determined by a commercial immunoassay. Conventional inflammation markers (C-reactive protein, procalcitonin, white blood cell count, absolute neutrophil count, and neutrophil percentage) were measured on the day of the clinical examination. Differences in measured inflammatory markers between cases and controls were analyzed with Mann-Whitney U-test. ROC analysis reported cut-off values with the best sensitivity and specificity to distinguish bacterial UTI from viral respiratory infection. RESULTS: All analyzed inflammatory biomarkers, including sCal, were significantly higher in cases than in controls. Median concentration of sCal was 4.97 μg/mL (IQR 3.43–6.42) and 2.45 μg/mL (IQR 1.63–3.85) for cases and controls, respectively (p < 0.001). For identifying bacterial UTI, sensitivity and specificity of sCal were 77.6 and 69.0%, respectively, at an adjusted cut-off point of >3.24 μg/mL (AUC 80.2%). CONCLUSION: sCal could have substantial added value in the management of a child with fever and positive urinalysis and is a promising biomarker in distinction between bacterial UTI and viral respiratory causes of febrile illness in children under the age of 3 years.