Value of the C .-reactive protein test

C-reactive protein (C-reactive protein: CRP) is a protein with 224 amino acids, which is a biological marker that appears when the body has acute or chronic inflammation.
When the body appears inflammatory due to bacterial, viral, fungal, parasitic or non-infectious inflammatory conditions, trauma..., interleukins and some cytokines are released to activate the muscle. can synthesize CRP in the liver. CRP then activates the complement system, which is responsible for phagocytosis of microorganisms or dead tissues of the body.
Normally, there is no presence of C-reactive protein in the blood, when there is a trait that destroys tissue causing an inflammatory response, CRP is produced and rapidly increased in the blood. When the inflammatory process ends, these substances also rapidly decrease and are lost in the blood.
It is because of its sensitivity to the inflammatory process that CRP is used in the diagnosis of inflammatory conditions in the body and monitoring the response to inflammatory treatment.
In the blood, there are 2 types of CRP that can be quantified in the blood including:
Standard C-reactive protein: Used to assess the progress of inflammation. Helps evaluate people with signs and symptoms of a severe bacterial infection or a serious chronic inflammatory disease such as rheumatoid arthritis. Hypersensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP): Considered a marker for low-grade vasculitis. it can accurately detect less elevated levels of CRP in the blood to assess the risk of cardiovascular disease. CRP is not specific for a specific disease but is a marker for determining inflammation and monitoring inflammatory response to therapy.

To determine whether there is inflammation, the degree of inflammation and combined with other clinical and laboratory signs to make a diagnosis and decide on treatment in some cases such as:
Determine acute inflammation properties:
In severe infectious disease. Parasitic infection. Appendicitis . Pelvic inflammatory disease. Acute pancreatitis . Risk of heart attack. Identified in chronic inflammatory conditions such as:
Lymphoma . Enteritis. Autoimmune diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis. In cases of chronic inflammation, the test to determine the acute inflammatory state of chronic inflammation is regularly tested to evaluate the results of treatment.

For a standard C-reactive protein test:
Normal values ​​are 0-1 mg/dl. Measuring range 10-1000mg/L When a higher than normal CRP value is diagnostic of an inflammatory condition, a small increase in CRP indicates mild inflammation or in some non-inflammatory subjects; Elevated elevations suggest a moderate to severe infection depending on the elevation of CRP. If the clinical manifestations are clear of a serious infection, then the CRP elevation above 100mg/l is a sign to confirm the diagnosis and give appropriate treatment. CRP increases in cases such as: Infection, trauma, burns, surgery, enteritis, rheumatoid arthritis, myocardial infarction... Monitoring response to treatment: If after treatment, CRP decrease shows that response to treatment, if it increases or does not decrease, it means that the treatment is not effective. hs-CRP test:
Used to assess the risk of cardiovascular disease. There is a measurement range of 0.5-10mg/dl. Low risk hs-CRP < 1mg/L, moderate risk 1-3mg/L, high risk >3mg/L. In healthy individuals, elevated levels of hs-CRP are predictive of an increased risk of future heart attack, stroke, death from myocardial infarction, or peripheral vascular disease. The hs-CRP test may be ordered in men 50 years of age and younger and women 60 years and younger at intermediate risk to assess future cardiovascular risk.

In addition, some cases of increased CRP not caused by inflammation include:
People who smoke. People who are sedentary, lazy to exercise. Overweight and obese people. The last months of pregnancy in pregnant women. Use oral contraceptives. Treatment with hormone replacement therapy. Excessive physical exertion.

It has a high value in determining inflammation in the early hours and is not altered by changes in hematocrit concentrations such as erythrocyte sedimentation rate tests. False negatives may occur when: Taking anti-inflammatory drugs, statins, beta-blockers. The C-reactive protein test is very valuable in diagnosing inflammation, but it is not used to determine the cause of inflammation, so it still needs to be combined with clinical and other tests to make a definitive diagnosis.
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