**4. Discussion**

The determination of PCT with Brahms reagents, both on the Kryptor and LIAISON®XL platforms, presents excellent performance in terms of sensitivity and specificity. The results obtained show a high correlation between the assays performed on the two analyzers. However, the current lack of standardization of the different methods available to measure PCT remains an unmet target. Currently, PCT is determined by enzymatic, luminometric, chemiluminescent, electrochemiluminescent, fluorescent, and turbidimetric immunoassays, and the latter can be adapted for use on a large number of analytical clinical chemistry platforms, thus favoring the widespread availability of the test.

The LIAISON® BRAHMS PCT® II GEN method could be a key component for PCT-monitored antibiotic therapy and for the initial diagnosis of bacterial infection, offering good quality as well as accurate and acceptable PCT measurements. However, as with other commercially available PCT determination tests, the results must be interpreted carefully in the context of medical history, physical examination, and microbiological evaluation, given that the increase in PCT levels are not always correlated with infection and that low levels of PCT do not automatically exclude the presence of bacterial infection [10]. Therefore, the test results should not replace clinical judgment but should be integrated in a broader context, in order to obtain a better diagnostic performance [11].

**Author Contributions:** All the authors have contributed equally to the content of the manuscript. All the authors have accepted responsibility for the entire content of this submitted manuscript and approved submission.

**Funding:** None declared.

**Conflicts of Interest:** The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
