87 patients with sepsis and septicshock  12 critically ill patients with no criteria forsepsis  PCT values were elevated in patients withbacterial sepsis at days 1 and 3 of pediatric ICU admission Persistently elevated PCT values were found in patientswith bacterial sepsis with persistent multiple organ failure andin those who died, but not in patients with non-bacterial sepsis(fungal, viral or sepsis with negative culture). The gene discussed is CALCA; the disease is bacterial infectious disease with sepsis.