C-REACTIVE PROTEIN

• A serum glycoprotein made during acute inflammation or tissue destruction
• Shown to be elevated in a variety of conditions, including infections (bacterial--10-40x normal, viral--2-4x normal, and others), autoimmune disease, malignancy, and acute MI.
• A sensitive test to detect/monitor either of these conditions
• See under Coronary Artery Disease Risk Factors re: data on CRP & CAD risk
• Advantages over ESR:

1. Not affected by anemia or serum protein G's like ESR
2. More interpretable because of low half life
3. n.b. ESR may be a better predictor of chronic inflammation

• Specifics:
  1. Starts rising 4-6h post-onset of inflammation
  2. Plasma t-1/2 = 5-7h (relatively short)