Hello! I have been a doctor for 21 years. My name is Georgy Olegovich Sapego. In this article, I will talk about C-reactive protein.
C-reactive protein is referred to the same acute phase parameters as ESR.
This protein is involved in different phases of inflammation, and at the same time may have anti-inflammatory effects. With the help of C-reactive protein, our body recognizes all kinds of nasty things, and also notices the damaged membranes of its own cells. If the cell is damaged, then it must be disposed of. C-reactive protein catches these dead cells and unleashes a pack of our immunity on them.
This is not always helpful. If C-reactive protein detects tissue damage from some kind of injury or something else, then it starts such a carnage with the participation of immunity, which damages the tissue even more.
Normal C-reactive protein levels
It's interesting here. Nobody knows this normal level. Well, that is, if you look at the special tables, then for a specific gender and age you can roughly estimate. But it is not exactly.
Most people have blood levels of C-reactive protein below 3 milligrams per liter.
With mild inflammation, its level is anywhere from 3 to 10 milligrams per liter.
With severe inflammation - more than 10 milligrams per liter.
Different laboratories may have different standards.
Mild inflammation
Mild inflammation is also such a... loose concept. A bunch of different processes in our body are accompanied by mild inflammation.
This includes:
- atreosclerosis;
- obesity;
- sleep apnea;
- hypertension;
- type 2 diabetes.
It is said that slightly elevated C-reactive protein levels may be lifestyle-related. This is influenced by all sorts of bad excesses, gluttony, lack of physical activity and (surprisingly) even just a bachelor life.
Marked increase in C-reactive protein
This happens in about the same situations in which the ESR increases markedly. You can read about ESR in my article at the link below.
If C-reactive protein has jumped, it is almost certainly due to infection.
A level above 100 milligrams per liter is more likely to indicate a bacterial infection. With a viral infection, it also rises, but not so much.
Crossroads
It happens that ESR is scaled, and C-reactive protein is low for some reason. There may be different options.
Firstly, ESR has great inertia, while C-reactive protein, on the contrary, jumps and falls very quickly.
Secondly, with some famous lupus, ESR, in principle, rises often, and C-reactive protein - not always.
Highly sensitive C-reactive protein assay
This is such a new trendy feature. It seems to many that this analysis will show a protein that is not visible with the old analysis. In fact, if C-reactive protein is elevated, then it will be seen by any analysis.
Highly sensitive analysis reveals the weakest systemic inflammation, which is also called low-intensity or sluggish.
In order not to get confused, let's figure it out right away. The usual overt inflammation is redness, swelling, pain and all.
Low-intensity systemic inflammation is not felt. With him, usually nothing hurts.
Imagine that there was a war in the body - it was obvious inflammation. Then the fighting ended, but rubble, barricades and piles of debris remained. The organism takes apart and clears this battlefield. And such general cleaning is manifested by a weak and sluggish inflammation. Here is his highly sensitive C-reactive protein test and will show. Sometimes this analysis is useful, but more often it doesn't make sense. Because in our body, any more or less noticeable movement is accompanied by a weak inflammation.
What is your relationship with C-reactive protein?))
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