Utility of Pentraxin-3 as a biomarker for diagnosis of acute appendicitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis
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In brief
In brief
This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluates Pentraxin-3 (PTX3) as a diagnostic biomarker for acute appendicitis in children. The analysis of five studies demonstrates significantly elevated PTX3 levels in patients with acute appendicitis compared to healthy controls and those with non-specific abdominal pain, though PTX3 cannot distinguish perforated from non-perforated appendicitis.
Written by the GCMD Library team from the article.
Abstract
Purpose
To systematically summarize all relevant data and to define the current evidence on the utility of Pentraxin-3 (PTX3) as a biomarker for acute appendicitis (AA) in children.
Methods
This review was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines. PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science databases were systematically searched for studies comparing the levels of PTX3 in patients with AA vs healthy controls or non-specific abdominal pain (NSAP). Mean differences were calculated for all outcomes and the inverse variance method was used for weighted mean difference. The methodological quality of the included studies was assessed using the Downs and Black scale.
Results
Five comparative studies were included. Significantly elevated levels of PTX3 in cases with AA vs healthy controls (WMD: 9.56, 95% CI 7.24–11.88, p < 0.00001), and patients with AA vs NSAP (WMD: 8.05, 95% CI 6.81–9.29, p < 0.00001) were demonstrated. Similarly, in separate meta-analyses, the levels of PTX3 were significantly elevated in children with AA vs healthy controls (WMD: 11.18, 95% CI 10.03–12.34, p < 0.00001), and children with AA vs NSAP (WMD: 8.35, 95% CI 6.88–9.82, p < 0.00001).
Conclusions
PTX3-levels are elevated in AA, but differentiation between perforated and non-perforated appendicitis demands other methods.