C-Reactive Protein Protein

Quality Statement:
C-reactive protein (CRP) is an acute phase reactant and is measured as high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP). CRP is composed of five subunits combining to form a pentameric structure. It acts as an opsonin binding polysaccharide residues on bacteria, fungi, and parasites to activate complement and phagocytosis. CRP has also been described to result in the induction of cytokines and interact with Fc-gamma receptors prompting the hypothesis that CRP is also interactive in the adaptive immune response.Synthesis of CRP occurs in the liver and is triggered by the release of IL-6 in response to tissue damage or infectious stimuli. One of the functions of CRP is to recognize foreign pathogens and phospholipid components of damaged cells, resulting in activation of the classical complement pathway.Elevation of CRP expression occurs several hours after the onset of the increase in IL-6. CRP is a test that measures the amount of a protein in the blood that signals acute inflammation. CRP is an acute-phase protein, the levels of which rise in response to inflammatory conditions including cancers. Since lung cancer is also considered as an overhealed chronic inflammatory disease, measurement of serum CRP level also may provide a biomarker indication. However, the association between CRP and the risk of incident lung cancer was not stable in many published results. CRP is an acute-phase reactant released from the liver in response to an inflammatory reaction, such as meningitis. CRP is released within 6 hours of insult and peaks after 36 hours. As CRP has become more understood, the diagnostic utility has grown to include wellness assessments on clinically normal humans as well as patients with underlying diseases including diabetes and coronary heart disease.