Test for c reactive protein. When is it necessary to take a blood test for C-reactive protein (CRP)? C-reactive protein is elevated - what does it mean

• With correct treatment, if these are infections or viruses, the amount of CRP decreases after a couple of days. If it is still elevated, then you need to change the direction of treatment and look for the cause elsewhere.
• A biochemical blood test for CRP helps to detect inflammation in the vessels and is the main indicator of the presence of atherosclerosis.
• If the patient does not suffer from cardiac pathology and does not have infections or viruses, it is likely that the level of CRP is elevated due to the development of the oncological process. This disease must be excluded.
• In pregnant women, CRP is slightly elevated in preeclampsia compared to healthy pregnant women.

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Since c-reactive protein is produced by the liver, the problem may be in the liver. To restore its functions, it is recommended to take a hepatic herbal collection, due to which harmful substances will be removed.

Despite the fact that this substance was discovered at the beginning of the last century, reactive protein analysis is still widely used in any medical practice. If C-reactive protein is elevated, then there is inflammation in the body, the activity of which helps to determine this indicator. And although it is impossible to make any specific diagnosis from this analysis, it can be indispensable for the first examination of a person or when monitoring the activity of a chronic disease.

You can learn from this article how to interpret the results of the examination, determine the risk of cardiovascular complications, and even predict the course of pregnancy by reactive blood protein.

What is SRP

C-reactive protein (CRP for short) is a complex combination of carbohydrates and proteins that is produced in the liver cells. In the blood of a healthy person, its content is so small that most devices can even show a zero result. The production of this substance is stimulated by any factors that pose a threat to the body. These include:

• harmful bacteria;
• Any viruses;
• pathogenic fungi;
• Trauma, including surgery;
• Damage to internal organs (heart attacks, strokes, tissue rupture, etc.);
• Tumors and growth of metastases;
• Autoimmune reactions are immune disorders in which blood cells begin to produce substances that damage healthy tissues.

High C-reactive protein activates the body's defense systems. It is an important link in the immune system, which activates the release of antimicrobial and antiviral substances, and also stimulates the work of defense cells.

A side effect of protein is its effect on fat metabolism. In high concentrations, this compound contributes to the deposition of "bad cholesterol" (low-density lipoprotein - LDL) in the arterial wall. That is why the measurement of this indicator is used in assessing the risk of vascular complications.

Norm

Unlike most indicators, the norm of C-reactive protein is universal for all population groups, regardless of age and gender.

Exceeding this value, in most cases, allows us to suspect an inflammatory or oncological disease, depending on the presence of certain changes in the body in a person.

With the development of knowledge about this substance and the advent of new high-precision equipment, scientists began to talk about another indicator - it is called the basic value of CRP. This value makes it possible to assess in a person, who does not suffer from any inflammatory reaction, the risk of damage to the heart and arterial vessels. The norm of the basic level of reactive protein differs significantly from traditional data - it is less than 1 mg / l.

It is better to take tests in the same laboratory, because. CRP is determined by various methods, using:

• radial immunodiffusion;
• nephelometry,

therefore, repeated results may differ, which will not allow a correct interpretation of the dynamics.

Comparison with ESR

In addition to C-reactive protein marker acute inflammation in the body shows and ESR (). They are united by the fact that both indicators increase in a number of diseases. What is their difference:

• CRP increases much earlier and decreases faster. Therefore, in the early stages of diagnosis, it is more informative than ESR.
• If the treatment is effective, then the s-react. protein decreases on days 7-10, and ESR decreases only after 14-28 days.
• On the ESR results the time of day, plasma composition, erythrocyte count, gender (higher in women) influence the results of CRP, but do not depend on these factors.

It is becoming clear that C-reactive protein analysis is a more sensitive method for assessing inflammation than ESR. If a disease is suspected, it is more informative and convenient to determine the cause, determine the acute or chronic process, assess the activity of inflammation and the effectiveness of the therapy.

Reasons for the increase

There are 3 main groups of reasons that can lead to an increase in the content of CRP in the blood - the inflammatory process, and the pathology of arterial vessels. They include a huge number of diseases between which it is necessary to conduct a diagnostic search. The degree of protein increase helps to roughly navigate the pathologies:

• More than 100 mg/l- such a strong immune response is most often observed in bacterial infections (microbial pneumonia, salmonellosis, shigellosis, pyelonephritis, etc.);
• 20-50 mg/l This level is more typical for viral diseases human, such as mononucleosis, adenovirus or rotavirus infection, herpes and others;
• Less than 19 mg/l- slight excess normal value can be with any significant factor affecting the body. However, with a constantly elevated CRP, autoimmune and oncological pathologies should be excluded.

But, the level of CRP is a very approximate indicator, and even the above boundaries are rather arbitrary. It happens that a patient with rheumatoid arthritis CRP above 100, during an exacerbation. Or in a septic patient 5-6 mg / l.

At the beginning of the inflammatory process, literally in the first hours, the protein concentration will increase, and may be more than 100 mg / l, after 24 hours the maximum concentration will already be.

Under what conditions and diseases does it increase:

• After major surgery
• After injuries, burns
• After transplantation, if CRP increases, this indicates graft rejection
• With tuberculosis
• With peritonitis
• For rheumatism
• Endocarditis, myocardial infarction
• Oncological diseases with metastases
• Acute infections - fungal, viral, bacterial
• With helminthiases
• Multiple melanoma
• For various autoimmune diseases
• severe allergic reactions

How informative in chronic diseases

For the diagnosis of chronic diseases, this analysis is uninformative. In diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, systemic vasculitis, sponylarthropathies, myopathies, the result of the analysis depends on the activity of the process, and it is used to evaluate the effectiveness of therapy. The prognosis is unfavorable if the amount of protein does not decrease, but increases.

Examples of analysis evaluation for specific diseases:

• myocardial infarction- in this condition, CRP rises after 20-30 hours. Then, from the 20th day, it begins to decrease, and after 1.5 months it returns to normal. High levels of protein - an unfavorable prognosis and the likelihood of death. Re-growth indicates relapse.
• Rheumatoid arthritis- protein is determined both for diagnosis and for monitoring treatment, however, it is impossible to distinguish rheumatoid arthritis from arthritis.
• With systemic lupus erythematosus the level of analysis will be within the normal range if there is no serositis. An increase in its concentration may indicate the occurrence of arterial thrombosis.
• Malignant tumors- not specific for oncology, also increases with relapse after treatment. It is used in combination with other methods for assessing the effectiveness of treatment (tumor markers).
• Bacterial infections- here the CRP levels are much higher than with viral infections.
• Angina pectoris - with stable angina, the indicators are most often normal, and with unstable, the level increases.
• - the amount of protein depends on the activity of the process.
• Even a slight increase to 10 mg / l C-reactive protein indicates the risk of thromboembolism, atherosclerosis and myocardial infarction.

The patient's condition, age and gender can make the task easier for the doctor. For example, young women have an extremely low risk of having atherosclerosis, and men aged 50-60 are less likely to get a childhood infection. Most characteristic causes elevated C-reactive protein, for different populations are discussed below.

Reasons for the increase in children

Infections are the most dangerous conditions for young patients, especially those under the age of 7-10 years. Since most children do not have time to develop chronic organ damage (CHD, chronic kidney damage, cholecystitis, etc.), with an increased C-reactive protein, an infectious process should first be ruled out.

There are a large number of diseases caused by microorganisms, however, in children, lesions of the digestive tract and respiratory tract. They can be acute with the appearance of pronounced symptoms (dysentery, salmonellosis, pneumonia, SARS and others) or slowly develop in the body, causing a chronic disease. Thus, bronchitis, tonsillitis, sinusitis, gastritis, etc. can occur.

Only after the exclusion of the listed pathologies, one should look for other factors in the child's body that can increase the concentration of CRP. Of course, you can skip this step if you have characteristic symptoms or test results confirming a different diagnosis.

Rate in women

In the absence of obvious symptoms and an increase in c-reactive protein in women, a thorough diagnostic search should be carried out. This is especially true for the age group of 30-60 years. It was at this time that there was a significant increase in the incidence among the fair sex. First of all, the presence of the following pathologies should be excluded:

• Gynecological diseases(endometriosis, endometritis, true erosion of the cervix, cervicitis and others);
• Oncology- It is in women 40-60 years old that the onset of tumor growth often occurs, for example, breast cancer or cervical cancer. In order to detect them in a timely manner and treat them on early stage, it is strongly recommended to undergo an annual examination by a gynecologist, starting from the age of 35;
• hearth chronic infection . CRP is an excellent indicator of a protracted inflammatory response. Despite the fact that they may not bother a person (until a certain time) and not reduce his quality of life, their presence is still reflected in the analysis of reactive protein in women.

What infections should be ruled out? In the first place in girls are lesions of the genitourinary tract: chronic pyelonephritis, cystitis, urethritis, infections with sexual transmission (chlamydia, mycoplasmosis, gardnerellosis, etc.). The following, in terms of frequency of occurrence, are pathologies digestive system- pancreatitis, chronic cholecystitis, intestinal dysbacteriosis and others.

The absence of these diseases against the background of elevated CRP is a reason to continue the diagnosis in order to detect the pathology of other tissues/organs.

An increase in the rate in men

Despite the fact that men are considered the stronger sex, their morbidity and mortality significantly exceed those of women. At the same time, acute infections are not the leading pathology in adults. A more serious problem is chronic diseases, which gradually damage various tissues and lead to the depletion of the body's resources. Their diagnosis can be quite difficult, and often the first sign is an increase in C-reactive protein.

To facilitate the diagnostic search, it should be remembered which pathologies are most common in middle-aged and older men. In the absence of obvious symptoms suggesting a definite diagnosis, it is recommended to exclude these diseases in the first place:

An increase in C-reactive protein in oncology is often almost the only manifestation of pathology. This should be remembered so as not to miss a person with this dangerous diagnosis and timely diagnosis and necessary therapeutic measures.

CRP risk assessment

What does C-reactive protein say if a person does not have inflammatory and oncological diseases? Not so long ago, scientists found out about the connection of this substance with the development of vascular complications. This study is especially relevant for people with cardiovascular disease or risk factors.

For people with any of these conditions, an excess of CRP above 1 mg / l indicates the risk of a vascular complication. These patients are significantly more likely to have strokes, heart attacks, kidney damage, or heart failure.

• A protein level of 1-3 mg/l indicates medium risk development of pathologies;
• Exceeding the limit of 4 mg/l demonstrates high risk vascular accident.

CRP and osteoporosis

Until now, doctors continue to study what this analysis shows, in addition to inflammation and cardiovascular risk. Recent studies have proven the relationship of C-protein with the depletion of calcium stores and bone pathologies, that is, osteoporosis. Why does this condition occur, and why is it dangerous?

The fact is that a large number of enzymes and trace elements, including calcium ions, are spent to maintain the inflammatory process. If it runs long enough, the amount of these substances in the blood becomes insufficient. In this case, they start to come from the depot. For calcium, bones are such a depot.

A decrease in its concentration in bone tissue leads to its increased fragility. For a person with osteoporosis, even a small injury is enough to cause a complete fracture or "crack in the bone" (incomplete fracture).

At the moment, doctors have not determined the exact limit of CRP at which the risk of bone changes increases. However, scientists from the NIIR RAMS found that a long-term excess of this analysis is a serious risk factor for calcium depletion.

C protein and pregnancy

Domestic and American scientists have long been interested in the relationship between the course of pregnancy and this indicator. And after numerous studies, such a connection was discovered. In the absence of inflammatory diseases in a woman, protein levels can partially predict the course of pregnancy. Doctors have found the following patterns:

• With a CRP level above 7 mg / l, the likelihood of developing preeclampsia is more than 70%. This is a serious complication that occurs only in pregnant women, in which there is an increase in pressure, disruption of the renal filter, damage to the nervous and cardiovascular systems;
• An increase in C-protein above 8.8 mg / l increases the risk of preterm birth;
• In the case of urgent delivery (which occurred on time) and an increase in the rate of more than 6.3 mg / l, there is a high risk of developing chorioamnionitis. This is a bacterial complication that occurs when the amniotic fluid, membranes, or endometrium of the uterus become infected.

What does C-reactive protein mean in each case can be quite difficult to determine. Since it can increase due to a large number of reasons, it is necessary to exclude all these factors before forming a prognosis for a pregnant woman. However, in the case of a correctly performed diagnosis, the obstetrician-gynecologist can plan the optimal tactics for managing his patient.

Preparation for analysis

To get the most reliable results of examinations, it is necessary to follow a number of recommendations before donating blood. The preparation for analysis is no different for a child and an adult, so the tips below are relevant for any age.

1. It is optimal to donate blood in the morning - before 11:00. During the day, the level of hormones changes, a person undergoes mental and exercise. Therefore, when conducting a study at another time, the result may turn out to be false positive;
2. 12 hours before the examination, you should not eat, drink alcohol and drinks containing caffeine (Coca-Cola, energy drinks, coffee, strong tea). When passing the analysis in the daytime / evening, let's say a light lunch 4 hours before the procedure;
3. It is not recommended to smoke, including electronic cigarettes, 3-4 hours before blood sampling;
4. Immediately before the diagnosis, physical activity and stress should be excluded.

FAQ

Question:
Can elevated CRP cause infertility?

Exceeding the norm of this substance is not a direct cause of infertility, but may indicate its presence. Let me explain with an example: in most cases, a girl cannot conceive a child due to an infection of the uterus, ovaries or fallopian tubes (endometritis, oophoritis and salpingitis, respectively). In addition to other symptoms, with these diseases, there is an increase in CRP.

Question:
Is it necessary to measure this indicator in the presence of a disease?

No, in most cases it is not included in the diagnostic standard. Its level is usually assessed when an autoimmune reaction is suspected, liver damage, or if there are difficulties in making a diagnosis.

Question:
I have rheumatoid arthritis and the doctor constantly prescribes this test for me. Why does he do this if the diagnosis was made several years ago?

Doctors use the study not only to diagnose the disease, but also to measure its activity. This helps to clarify the condition of the person and adjust the treatment.

Question:
Can the concentration of C-protein increase with alcoholism/drug addiction?

Yes, since these substances directly affect the liver and provoke the release of CRP.

C-reactive protein (CRP, C-Reactives protein - CRP) is a rather old laboratory test, which, like ESR, shows that there is an acute inflammatory process in the body.

It is not possible to detect CRP by conventional methods; in a biochemical blood test, an increase in its concentration is manifested by an increase in α-globulins, which it, along with other acute-phase proteins, represents. The main reason for the appearance and increase in the concentration of C-reactive protein is acute inflammatory diseases, which give a multiple (up to 100 times) increase in this acute phase protein already after 6-12 hours from the onset of the process.

In addition to the high sensitivity of CRP to various events occurring in the body, changes for better or worse, it responds well to therapeutic measures, so it can be used to control the course and treat various pathological conditions accompanied by an increase in this indicator.

What it is?

C-reactive protein is a two-component molecule consisting of proteins (peptides) covalently linked to several oligosaccharides. The name is due to its ability to interact with C-polysaccharides of bacteria of the Streptococcaceae family, thus forming a stable antigen-antibody complex (precipitation reaction). This mechanism refers to the protective reactions of the human body to infectious infection.

When a pathogen enters, it activates the immune system, which stimulates the synthesis of small peptide molecules - cytokines. They provide signal transmission about the manifestation of the inflammatory process and the need to increase the production of acute phase proteins, which are CRP. After 1-2 days, there is an increase in CRP by tens and hundreds of times compared with normal values.

It is noted that the maximum level of CRP (more than 150 mg/ml) is recorded in infectious diseases of bacterial etiology. While with viral infection, the protein concentration does not exceed 30 mg / l. Tissue death (necrosis) is another cause of elevated c-reactive protein, including heart attack, malignant neoplasms and atherosclerosis (deposition of excess cholesterol in the blood vessels).

SRP norm

In the blood of a healthy person, the level of CRP is very low or this protein is completely absent (in a laboratory study, but this does not mean that it does not exist at all - the test simply does not capture scanty amounts).

The following ranges of values ​​are accepted as the norm, moreover, they do not depend on age and gender: in children, men and women it is one - up to 5 mg / l, the only exception is newborn children - they are allowed to have up to 15 mg / l of this acute phase protein (as evidenced by the reference literature). However, the situation changes when sepsis is suspected: neonatologists begin urgent measures (antibiotic therapy) when the child's CRP rises to 12 mg/l, while doctors note that a bacterial infection in the first days of life may not give a sharp increase in this protein.

A laboratory test is prescribed to detect C-Reactives protein in the case of many pathological conditions accompanied by inflammation, the cause of which was an infection or destruction of the normal structure (destruction) of tissues:

1. Acute period of various inflammatory processes;
2. Activation of chronic inflammatory diseases;
3. Infections of viral and bacterial origin;
4. Allergic reactions of the body;
5. Active phase of rheumatism;
6. Myocardial infarction.

In order to better understand the diagnostic value of this analysis, it is necessary to understand what acute phase proteins are, to learn about the reasons for their appearance in the patient's blood, and to consider in more detail the mechanism of immunological reactions in an acute inflammatory process. Which is what we will try to do in the next section.

Symptoms and Diagnosis

The following indirect symptoms indicate an increase in the level of CRP:

• temperature rise;
• slight chills;
• periodic cough and shortness of breath;
• increased general sweating;
• in general analysis blood recorded an increase in ESR and the number of leukocytes.

More recently, an analysis of C-reactive protein was prescribed in order to reveal hidden inflammatory processes. Today, it can be used to assess the risk of cardiovascular diseases in people who are practically healthy. First of all, this applies to elderly patients.

The main indications for the study are as follows:

• the development of coronary heart disease and other ailments that develop against the background of atherosclerosis.
• timely fixation of exacerbations after surgical operations, such as bypass surgery or angioplasty.
• identifying the risk of recurrent heart attack or stroke.
• assessment of the level of effectiveness of treatment with antibacterial drugs for a bacterial infection.
• period of treatment of cardiovascular diseases.
• suspicion of the presence of neoplasms.
• the appearance of signs of lupus erythematosus.
• diagnosis of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.

To ensure the reliability of the results, the test is carried out in the morning. In addition, you should not eat 12 hours before the procedure, temporarily give up physical activity and avoid stress.

Having fixed an increased level of protein and excluding the influence of subjective factors on the indicator, the doctor determines the therapy.

Causes of an increase in C-reactive protein in adults

There are 3 main groups of reasons that can lead to an increase in the content of C-reactive protein in adults - the inflammatory process, oncology and pathology of arterial vessels. They include a huge number of diseases between which it is necessary to conduct a diagnostic search.

The degree of protein increase helps to roughly navigate the pathologies:

• Less than 19 mg/l- a slight excess of the normal value can be with any significant factor affecting the body. However, with a constantly elevated CRP, autoimmune and oncological pathologies should be excluded.
• 20-50 mg/l- this level is more typical for human viral diseases, such as mononucleosis, adenovirus or rotavirus infection, herpes and others.
• More than 100 mg/l- such a strong immune response is most often observed in bacterial infections (microbial pneumonia, salmonellosis, shigellosis, pyelonephritis, etc.)

But, the level of CRP is a very approximate indicator, and even the above boundaries are rather arbitrary. It happens that a patient with rheumatoid arthritis CRP above 100, during an exacerbation. Or in a septic patient 5-6 mg / l.

At the beginning of the inflammatory process, literally in the first hours, the protein concentration will increase, and may be more than 100 mg / l, after 24 hours the maximum concentration will already be.

Possible diseases

C-reactive protein will be increased already in the first 6-8 hours from the onset of the disease, and its values ​​will correspond to the severity of the process (the more severe the course, the higher the CRP). Such properties of CRP allow it to be used as an indicator at the onset or occurrence of various inflammatory and necrotic processes, which will be the reasons for the increase in the indicator:

1. Bacterial and viral infections;
2. Acute cardiac pathology (myocardial infarction);
3. Oncological diseases (including metastasis of tumors);
4. Chronic inflammatory processes localized in various organs;
5. Surgical interventions (violation of tissue integrity);
6. Injuries and burns;
7. Complications of the postoperative period;
8. Gynecological pathology;
9. Generalized infection.

Elevated CRP often occurs with:

1. (SLE);
2. Lymphogranulomatosis;
3. Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL);
4. Visceral leishmaniasis.

It should be noted that the values ​​of the indicator for different groups of diseases can differ significantly, for example:

1. Viral infection, tumor metastases, rheumatic diseases that proceed sluggishly, without severe symptoms, give a moderate increase in the concentration of CRP - up to 30 mg / l;
2. Exacerbation of chronic inflammatory processes, infections caused by bacterial flora, surgical interventions, acute myocardial infarction can increase the level of an acute phase marker by 20 or even 40 times, but in most cases an increase in concentration up to 40-100 mg / l can be expected from such conditions ;
3. Severe generalized infections, extensive burns, septic conditions can very unpleasantly surprise clinicians with numbers indicating the content of C-reactive protein, they can reach exorbitant values ​​(300 mg / l and much higher).

It is also worth mentioning a very important issue regarding the increased amount of CRP in healthy people. A high concentration of C-reactive protein with external complete well-being and the absence of signs of at least some kind of pathology suggests the development of an oncological process. Such patients should undergo a thorough examination.

Causes in men

In the absence of obvious symptoms suggesting a definite diagnosis, it is recommended to exclude these diseases in the first place:

1. tumors;
2. GERD;
3. 12 duodenal ulcer / stomach;
4. (ICB);
5. Sexually transmitted infections (chlamydia, mycoplasma / ureaplasma infection, gardnerellosis, etc.)
6. Chronic obstructive lung lesions (, emphysema);
7. Occupational diseases (silicosis, pneumoconiosis, silicotuberculosis and others).

To facilitate the diagnostic search, you should ask your doctor what pathologies are most common in middle-aged and older men.

Causes in women

First of all, the presence of the following pathologies should be excluded:

1. Oncology - it is in women 40-60 years old that the onset of tumor growth often occurs, for example, breast cancer or. In order to detect them in a timely manner and treat them at an early stage, it is strongly recommended to undergo an annual examination by a gynecologist, starting at the age of 35.
2. A focus of chronic infection. CRP is an excellent indicator of a protracted inflammatory response. Despite the fact that they may not bother a person (until a certain time) and not reduce his quality of life, their presence is still reflected in the analysis of reactive protein in women.
3. Gynecological diseases (,

   What to do and how to treat elevated C-reactive protein?

   An elevated concentration of CRP, confirmed by a biochemical blood test, is not an accurate confirmation of a specific disease. This is an indicator of development possible pathology. With what it can be connected can be determined only on the basis of additional research.

   It is noteworthy that if the therapy is chosen correctly, then the level of C-reactive protein quickly decreases and returns to normal. For example, with the correct use of antibacterial drugs, positive result marked by a decrease in the level of CRP already during the day. If there are no obvious signs of bacterial or viral infection, but the analysis showed an increased concentration of CRP in the blood, then consultation with an oncologist is required.

   In order for any prescribed therapy to be effective, the rules must be followed. healthy eating And do not forget about moderate physical activity. In addition, efforts should be made to eradicate existing bad habits. Such standard rules will contribute to the rapid recovery and preservation of health for many years.

To diagnose serious diseases, a biochemical blood test is used, one of the indicators in it is CRP. Our material will help you learn about CRP blood test - what is it? This assay shows the activity of the reactive protein. Such a study has long been used to diagnose dangerous inflammatory processes in the human body. C-reactive protein is produced in the liver. It belongs to the fast phase plasma proteins. It is this element that is especially sensitive. This means that the reactive protein reacts even to a minor focus of inflammation.

What does the analysis show? CRP in a biochemical blood test shows how much of this substance is in the patient's blood at the moment. When an inflammatory process begins in the human body, the level of protein increases significantly. This is necessary to stimulate the immune response.

Let's understand what SRP means. First of all, a reactive protein in the blood, it is the protector of our body. Protein creates a barrier to infectious microorganisms preventing their entry into the body.

The inflammatory process, which requires an immune response, occurs due to a number of reasons:

• The appearance of malignant and benign neoplasms
• Severe traumatic injuries
• Tissue necrosis and pre-infarction condition

All of the above means that the tissues of the internal or external organs of a person are damaged. Seeing this situation, the body gives a signal to the liver to start the process of active protein production. Approximately 5-6 hours after an infectious attack, protein synthesis increases. And in a day, the value of CRP will be several times higher than the natural level.

Another function of the reactive protein is the excretion fatty acids, and processing of lysophospholipids. In the active phase, C-reactive protein stimulates cell phagocytosis, which means that it has a direct effect on human immunity.

The question arises, a blood test for CRP - what is it? This is just an indicator of the level of C-reactive protein in the blood. But, the study of indicators of the level of CRP in the blood test helps to diagnose inflammation at the initial stage.

Why is such a study ordered?

Any analysis biochemical parameters blood is aimed at determining the deviation from the norm of the indicator of certain substances. This means that the deviation will indicate the presence of an inflammatory process. Depending on which indicator is not normal, the doctor can diagnose the disease and prescribe the correct course of treatment.

The time frame for which the analysis was carried out matters a lot.

CRP blood test helps to diagnose even the most serious infectious diseases at an early stage. The more early term the disease on which it was found, the easier it is to treat.

A blood test for CRP absolutely accurately gives an answer about the presence of the disease. Because during the acute phase, the amount of protein will be ten times more than normal. The level of excess can help in determining the nature of the infection. When affected by viruses, the protein can grow several times, or remain at the same level. With bacterial attacks, the increase will be significant. The concentration of reactive protein in the patient's blood in this case can be hundreds of times higher than what is considered normal.

Surveys are assigned:

• If it is necessary to determine the degree of infection activity and the extent of the focus of inflammation
• If you need to understand what effect the prescribed course of treatment has
• To exclude complications that may occur in the postoperative period
• To identify the process of rejection of tissues and organs after implantation

Indications for a blood test for CRP may include:

• Acute phase of infectious diseases
• The onset of symptoms of a chronic illness
• severe allergic reaction
• Rheumatism or myocardial infarction

In a laboratory study, you can accurately determine the amount of reactive protein in the blood. As a preventive measure, such a study is prescribed to people old age to prevent the development of heart attack and diabetes.

How Protein is Measured

The norm of CRP is determined by counting the number of milligrams of a substance per liter of blood. In healthy people, the protein is not found in the blood, which indicates that there is no threat to the body. Or its concentration is very low. For example, in children of the first year of life, the norm of CRP in the blood does not exceed 2 mg / l. In the blood of an adult, it can be no more than 5 mg / liter.

How do you define what analysis means? The interpretation of the analysis will be clear only to the doctor. Because, it is important not only to determine the level of CRP, but also to compare its fluctuation with other symptoms. Factors that are indicated by an increase in CRP levels:

• Less than 1 mg / l - an indicator close to normal, there is no risk of onset of vascular diseases
• From 1 to 3 mg / l - High content, which means the possibility of developing cardiovascular diseases
• Above 3 mg / l - the results indicate a dangerous condition, a complication of the current disease is possible and a high risk of cardiovascular pathologies
• From 3 to 10 and above - an acute stage of the disease, an urgent examination in a hospital is indicated. An additional study is usually prescribed to clarify the diagnosis.

Qualitative analysis is the main factor for making a diagnosis, on which the course of treatment of the patient depends. CRP is determined using two methods: alpha-1-antitrypsin and the Veltman test.

How to decipher the analysis yourself

An increase in the level of C-reactive protein may indicate the onset or exacerbation of a very serious disease. Lowering the level is excluded. Since, in the blood of a healthy person, the level of protein is insignificant. Laboratory studies of CRP do not show its presence.

The reasons for the increase may lie in the presence of such diseases:

• Streptococcal meningitis
• Neutropenia
• Gastritis or ulcer
• Arterial hypertension
• Diabetes
• Rheumatic pathologies
• Myocardial infarction or pre-infarction condition
• Amyloidosis
• Cardiac ischemia
• Oncological neoplasms

Hormonal imbalances, a sedentary lifestyle and increased body weight lead to the appearance of diseases to which the protein reacts.

During the period of bearing a child, a blood test of the expectant mother also happens with a high CRP. Heavy physical activity, smoking and drinking hormonal drugs will introduce a significant error in the result of the study.

How to take a blood test

A blood test for CRP is prescribed no earlier than a couple of weeks after the symptoms of the acute phase of the disease disappear.

To eliminate the error in the result of the analysis, it is necessary to prepare the body in advance. Blood for analysis is taken from a vein in the arm. They usually take a biochemistry test in the morning. Before donating blood, it is not recommended to eat food.

Alcohol on the eve of the analysis is strictly prohibited. Potent drugs are best avoided as well. Before the procedure, treatment on physio-devices is not prescribed. X-ray studies and fluorography can distort the result of laboratory tests. For athletes, it is better to exclude heavy physical exertion and the intake of additional food additives. The result of the analysis of CRP especially strongly distorts the synthetic protein.

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