Showing papers on "C-reactive protein published in 1985"

Reprioritization of hepatic plasma protein release in trauma and sepsis.

Abstract: • We studied the temporal pattern of seven hepatic synthesized plasma proteins in 26 severely injured patients beginning in the immediate posttrauma period. Clinical sepsis developed in ten patients between three and eight days after injury, and 16 patients had nonseptic courses. In the initial five days after injury, except for albumin, all acute-phase protein levels rose. However, if sepsis developed, C-reactive protein, fibrinogen, ceruloplasmin, and α1-antitrypsin levels continued to be elevated after the initial five posttrauma days, while transferrin, albumin, and α2-macroglobulin levels fell. This differential response became more extreme as sepsis progressed. Covariance analysis of the regression of the five true acute-phase hepatic proteins on C-reactive protein showed that, when sepsis occurred after major traumatic injury, the C-reactive protein rise was associated with a significant reprioritization of hepatic acute-phase plasma protein release. This reprioritization response seems to be both a predictor of sepsis as well as a measure of the adequacy of the host response to trauma and sepsis. (Arch Surg1985;120:187-199)

Serum C-reactive protein measurement in the detection of intercurrent infection in Oriental patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Abstract: In a prospective study serum C-reactive protein (CRP) concentrations were measured during 28 febrile episodes in 27 Oriental patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Although active SLE was associated with only a modest rise in serum CRP level, intercurrent infection provoked substantially higher levels. Serum CRP thus provides a sensitive objective test for this complication in SLE patients of all ethnic groups.

C-reactive protein levels in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: the impact of therapy.

Abstract: C-reactive protein levels were measured in sera of 111 patients with rheumatoid arthritis and were compared with erythrocyte sedimentation rate. The patients were divided into six groups according to drug therapy. Comparison between the groups suggests that CRP correlates best with ESR in patients treated with penicillamine and in patients in clinical remission. Patients treated with gold, NSAID or methotrexate have a weaker correlation between the two parameters, while steroid therapy yields the poorest correlation which is not statistically significant. Our data suggest that although CRP is a sensitive index of disease activity, the specific drug taken by the patient must be considered before interpreting the results.

Acute-phase-proteins and parameters of humoral immunity in patients with advanced Hodgkin's disease.

Abstract: Serum concentrations of acute-phase-proteins C-reactive protein (CRP), α1-antitrypsin (AAT), α1-acid glycoprotein (AGP) as well as levels of immunoglobulins G, A and M and of complement components C3 and C4 were evaluated in 15 patients with advanced (stages III and IV) Hodgkin's disease. Of these patients 9 suffered from B symptoms including pruritus, night sweats and fever. While all patients had highly increased concentrations of CRP and AAT and 11 patients also had elevated levels of AGP in their sera, these concentrations were significantly (P<0.001) reducible by the administration of chemotherapy. Patients with B symptoms also had significantly higher concentrations of CRP (P<0.02), AAT (P<0.05) and AGP (P<0.05) in their sera than patients without. Plasmapheresis which was performed in 3 patients did not achieve a long-lasting reduction of serum concentrations of any acute-phase-protein tested. Complement components C3 and C4 exhibited a similar behaviour as acute-phase-proteins in that they were elevated in patients with B symptoms and reducible by the administration of chemotherapy (P<0.001 and P<0.02, respectively). We conclude that serum concentrations of CRP, AAT and AGP can serve as useful markers for the assessment of tumour activity in patients with advanced Hodgkin's disease. Whereas the concentrations of immunoglobulins G and A in patients were comparable to normal controls, IgM was significantly (P<0.05) reduced in patients who had received chemotherapy, but not in those who were newly diagnosed and hat not received any treatment. Thus, chemotherapy lowered serum concentrations of IgM without influencing levels of IgG and IgA.

Responses of opsonic substances to major trauma and sepsis.

Abstract: Adequate opsonic capability is vital for normal host defense against infection. The presence of complement fraction 3 (C3) indicates both classical and alternative pathways of complement activation, while complement fraction 4 (C4) indicates only classical pathway activation. C-reactive protein (CRP) functions as an opsonic substance. We measured serum levels of C3, C4, and CRP in 32 trauma patients. Six suffered minor injuries and 26 suffered major injuries. Nineteen of the major-injury patients developed post-trauma sepsis. Complement levels fell immediately after injury and remained low for approximately 8 days in all patients. CRP levels rose by 12 h, peaked at 48 h, and correlated with the severity of injury and the presence of sepsis. Elevated CRP levels after 4 days postinjury indicated the presence of sepsis in all cases. CRP elevations preceded clinical diagnosis by an average of 2.4 days. Serial measurements of CRP are valuable in monitoring the course of trauma patients and may indicate the presence of septic complications before clinical detection.

Correlation of disease activity in systemic vasculitis with serum C-reactive protein measurement. A prospective study of thirty-eight patients.

Abstract: In a prospective study over 2 years, serum C-reactive protein (CRP) concentration and erythrocyte sedimentation rate were measured serially in thirty-eight patients with various types of necrotizing systemic vasculitis. The CRP concentration was always elevated in patients with active vasculitis and fell rapidly in association with clinical remission induced by immunosuppression. During periods of complete remission, in the absence of any intercurrent condition, the value remained within the normal range. In contrast the sedimentation rate responded more slowly to changes in disease activity and did not necessarily reflect the level of inflammation at a particular time. These results, together with the commercial availability of rapid and precise assays for CRP, indicate that serial measurement of the serum CRP fills the urgent need for an objective index of the activity of the systemic vasculitides and their response to therapy.

Inappropriate responses to Mycobacterium leprae infections--C reactive protein in man and serum amyloid P in mice.

Abstract: In a study of C-reactive protein (CRP) levels in the sera of 77 patients with leprosy, it was found that in the majority of newly diagnosed patients, the level was within the normal range for a healthy Malaysian population. Elevated levels did occur, but were usually found in patients with complications, and were more likely to occur in patients who had been receiving drug treatment for some time. This suggested that Mycobacterium leprae infection by itself does not stimulate CRP synthesis and could reflect a failure of synthesis by macrophages of interleukin-1, or related molecules. This was supported by the study of an analogous acute phase protein, serum amyloid P (SAP) in mice bearing M. leprae from human sources in their hind footpads. Such mice showed no significant difference in SAP levels from control mice.

[Acute phase proteins (C-reactive protein, orosomucoid, haptoglobin)--specific markers in the diagnosis of inflammatory adnexal diseases].

Abstract: The group of patients discussed here comprises 51 women admitted to hospital with diagnosed adnexitis. Twenty-seven patients whose diagnosis was confirmed by the correlation of pathologic laboratory parameters with examination findings or by laparoscopy or laparatomy were defined as adnexitis-positive. Apart from clinical examination findings, the evaluation analysis also included blood sedimentation rate, leukocytes and body temperature, as well as the acute-phase proteins C-reactive protein, orosomucoid, and haptoglobin. It was found that both clinical examination findings and normal laboratory parameters, as they have been set up to the present in normal clinical routine, were only partially useful in the diagnosis of an inflammatory adnexal lesion. Ultrasonic examination findings resulted in unequivocally positive or negative findings in roughly one-half of the cases. In contrast, the 27 inpatients receiving treatment for adnexitis had pathologically increased levels of C-reactive protein. In all 24 cases in which an inflammatory adnexal lesion was ruled out, a normal concentration (less than 0.6 mg/dl) of the same protein was found. Similarly good results were arrived at in the analysis of orosomucoid and haptoglobin. By means of follow-up controls of the acute-phase proteins, as opposed to measurement of BSR and leukocyte count, the success of treatment could also be determined unequivocally. For routine clinical procedures analysis of the inflammation marker C-reactive protein seems to be sufficient, since no additional information about the inflammatory lesion was obtained by assay of the other acute-phase proteins.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)