Pentraxin-3 as a predictive marker of mortality in sepsis: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to clarify the prognostic value of Pentraxin-3 (PTX3) on the mortality of patients with sepsis. METHODS: Publications published up to January 2021 were retrieved from PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane library. Data from eligible cohort and case–control studies were extracted for the meta-analysis. Multivariate regression analysis was used to evaluate the correlation of the outcomes with sample size and male proportion. RESULTS: A total of 17 studies covering 3658 sepsis patients were included. PTX3 level was significantly higher in non-survivor compared to survivor patients (SMD (95% CI): −1.06 (−1.43, −0.69), P < 0.001). Increased PTX3 level was significantly associated with mortality (HR (95% CI): 2.09 (1.55, 2.81), P < 0.001). PTX3 showed good predictive capability for mortality (AUC:ES (95% CI): 0.73 (0.70, 0.77), P < 0.001). The outcome comparing PTX3 level in non-survivors vs. survivors and the outcome of the association between PTX3 and mortality were associated with sample size but not male proportion. AUC was associated with both sample size and male proportion. CONCLUSIONS: PTX3 level was significantly higher in non-survivor compared to survivor patients with sepsis. Elevated PTX3 level was significantly associated with mortality. Furthermore, the level of PTX3 might predict patient mortality.