The Importance of Serum Procalcitonin and C-reactive Protein Levels in Patients with Lymphoma

Objective: Increased inflammatory cells in the tumor microenvironment are important in the formation and progression of lymphomas. C-reactive protein (CRP) and procalcitonin (PCT) are biomarkers that can be used to detect infection and inflammation. We investigated the clinical significance of CRP and PCT levels in lymphoma cases. Materials and Methods: We evaluated 82 Hodgkin and 120 diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) cases. Pre- and post-treatment PCT and CRP values were compared. The relationship between pre-treatment CRP and PCT levels and response to chemotherapy treatment, disease stage, performance score, extranodal involvement, presence of bulky mass, and bone marrow involvement was determined. Results: In the Hodgkin lymphoma group, the CRP level was increased in 40 (48.8%) patients and the PCT level was increased in 16 (19.5%) patients. The CRP level was high in 36 (30%) cases and the PCT level was high in 34 (18.3%) cases in the DLBCL group. CRP and PCT levels were significantly lower after chemotherapy treatment in all of our cases compared to pretreatment (p<0.001, p<0.001, respectively). Conclusion: The decrease in CRP and PCT levels after chemotherapy treatment in our Hodgkin and DLBCL cases compared with pretreatment supports the role of inflammation in the pathogenesis. In addition, these parameters may contribute to the determination of prognosis.