Predictive value of soluble CD14, Interleukin-6 and procalcitonin for lower extremity amputation in people with diabetes with foot ulcers: A pilot study

Objective: the aim of this pilot study was to determine clinical and laboratory factors that predict amputation surgery and to evaluate the predictive value of soluble cd14 (scd14), interleukin-6 (il-6), and procalcitonin (pct) in patients with diabetic foot ulcers (dfus). methods: twenty-seven (20 males, 7 females) diabetic foot ulcers (dfu) patients admitted to our department were consecutively enrolled. the patients’ demographics and wound characteristics were noted. il-6, pct, and scd14 were measured at admission. results: six of the 27 patients (22%) eventually underwent lower extremity amputation. compared to the non-amputation group, a previous history of amputation (p=0.017), the presence of gangrene (p=0.044), the wagner grade (p=0.011), the il-6 concentration (p=0.018), the white blood cell count (wbc) (p=0.036), and the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (esr) (p=0.042) were significantly high in the amputation group. however, the scd14 and pct concentration were not significantly different. conclusion: we have shown for the first time that il-6 may have predictive value for lower extremity amputation in patients with dfu. further studies are needed to confirm its predictive value in this patient group.