Written By: Dr Anitha Anchan | Updated : April 22, 2016 11:46 PM IST
Anything that it recognised as harmful by our body elicits an inflammatory response. This inflammation helps defend the body against infection and injury and prevent further damage to the body. In some diseases, the inflammatory response is chronic that can last for several months or years. During inflammation, some proteins are released at the site of inflammation and circulated in the blood. Inflammation can be diagnosed by detecting these protein markers in the blood. One such marker is C-reactive protein (CRP). Your liver produces the protein in response to inflammation. C-reactive protein test or CRP test what is it? A CRP test measures the amount of C-reactive protein in the blood. The protein is released into the blood within a few hours after an inflammatory response by your body to an infection or injury. Testing its level in the blood helps detect inflammation in the body. The test is nonspecific - it neither shows where the inflammation is nor indicates what is causing it. When is the test recommended? C-reactive protein test may be recommended along with other routine blood tests as a clinical marker in sepsis and suspected case of inflammation in your body. The test aids in monitoring inflammatory diseases like arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, lupus, etc. It is also used to determine whether you may be at risk of developing coronary artery disease or heart disease later in life. A new research suggests it could be a useful tool to identify patients at greatest risk of ischemic stroke as well. Reading your CRP test report CRP is generally not detectable in the blood. It increases within 6-12 hours after inflammation, peaks at about 48 hours and finally drops as the inflammation subsides. It rises 1000-fold after myocardial infarction, injury, infection, etc. CRP production may be impaired in liver failure. Conventionally, CRP is measured down to concentrations of 3-5 mg/L. High-sensitivity CRP (hs-CRP) measures down the protein to concentrations of 0.3 mg/L. Reference range[1] of CRP is 0-10mg/L
Your CRP levels are likely to be high if you have arthritis, erectile dysfunction. According to studies, Vitamin D helps control the progression of ED by lowering the level of CRP. The level of CRP has also been found to rise when one thinks about a stressful incident. Researchers suspect that high blood levels of C-reactive protein might increase the risk of atherosclerosis and attacks. They have also found a link between elevated levels of the protein with increased risk of recurrent ischemic stroke. Statistically, higher CRP levels have been found in people who get less than six hours of sleep at night. Hence, sufficient sleep can help lower heart disease risk by decreasing levels of the protein. The reference range of high-sensitivity CRP (hs-CRP) is < 3 mg/L while assessing heart disease risk.
The protein appears within one to two days of a heart attack and peaks at three days and becomes negative after a week. The failure of CRP to return to normal signifies damage in the heart or other tissues. The absence of an increase in the protein after a heart attack could mean tissue death 2 to 10 days before the attack [3]. High CRP levels may predict death over the next six months from all causes related to a heart attack. Persistently high CRP levels above 200 mg/L after a heart attack may signify a high probability of occurrence of heart rupture, the second most common cause of death in heart attack [4]. References1. Burris CA, Ash wood ER, Burns DE. Tietz Textbook of Clinical Chemistry and Molecular Diagnostics. 5th ed. Elsevier Health Sciences, 2012. 22562. Hirschfield GM, Pepys MB. C-reactive protein and cardiovascular disease: new insights from an old molecule. QJM. 2003 Nov;96(11):793-807. Review. PubMed PMID: 14566035.3. Griselli, M., Herbert, J., Hutchinson, W. L., Taylor, K. M., Sohail, M., Krausz, T., & Pepys, M. B. (1999). C-Reactive Protein and Complement Are Important Mediators of Tissue Damage in Acute Myocardial Infarction. The Journal of Experimental Medicine, 190(12), 1733 1740.4. Ueda S, Ikeda U, Yamamoto K, Takahashi M, Nishinaga M, Nago N, Shimada K. C-reactive protein as a predictor of cardiac rupture after acute myocardial infarction. Am Heart J. 1996 May;131(5):857-60. PubMed PMID: 8615301. Image source: Shutterstock
