The Predictive Value of Different Laboratory Indicators Based on the 2018 Tokyo Guidelines for the Severity of Acute Cholangitis.

BACKGROUND:This study evaluated the predictive value of different laboratory indicators for the severity of acute cholangitis (AC) according to the 2018 Tokyo Guidelines. OBJECTIVES:We enrolled consecutive patients with a diagnosis of AC from June 2016 to May 2021. Serum procalcitonin (PCT) and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels, white blood cell counts, the neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio, and the platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) were compared according to the severity of AC. RESULTS:In total, 293 patients were enrolled in this study (mild, n = 172; moderate, n = 68; severe, n = 53). In receiver operating characteristic analyses, CRP was the best biomarker for differentiating mild and moderate AC (area under the curve [AUC] 0.66, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.58-0.74). PCT was the best biomarker for differentiating mild and severe AC (AUC 0.80, 95% CI 0.74-0.86). Blood culture was performed in 117 patients (39.93%), 53 of whom (45.30%) had positive results. Regarding blood culture positivity, PLR was most predictive (AUC 0.85, 95% CI 0.78-0.92). CONCLUSIONS:PCT can be used as a reliable predictor of severe AC. CRP was most predictive of moderate AC, whereas PLR was most predictive of blood culture positivity.