CALCA and bacterial infectious disease: When combined withanother biomarker, including interleukin 8 (IL-8), increased CRP levels areapparently a good diagnostic predictor in the first 24 hours.(16) However, the accuracy of CRPalone for the diagnosis of severe bacterial infection (sepsis/severe sepsis) inthese patients with cancer and febrile neutropenia is lower than that of otherbiomarkers (including interleukin 6 [IL-6] and procalcitonin [PCT]).(17)