Author

Ibrahim A.; Jouma M.D.; Obeid M.

Published in

Journal of Laboratory Diagnosis, Volume 3, Issue 8, July 2005

Abstract

C-reactive protein (CRP) is one of the acute phase proteins which increases in systemic inflammation. It plays a role in the non-specific immune response to bacteria, Viruses and fungi and the clearance of apoptotic cell material. It has now emerged as one of the most powerful predictors of cardiovascular risk. CRP range between 1-5 mg/L, which was previously regarded to be normal in the era preceding the high-sensitivity CRP test is considered a novel marker for an increased risk for cardiovascular events, especially coronary artery disease and myocardial infarction.

The study was included two groups: The first group was included 48 patients were undergone coronary bypass surgery (20 patients had DNA of herpes viruses in their plaques which were taken from coronary arteries and 28 were negative for herpes viruses DNA). Their sera samples were taken after the surgery. Their age ranged 34-73 years (Mean age 56 years).
The second group included 20 patients. Two sera samples were taken from each patient of this group, one before surgery and the second after it. Their ages ranged 33-65 years (Mean age 60 years).

We used kit depended on the Immunoassay Turbidimetric method from Roche company.

The results were as follow:

CRP range in the first group was 17.5-299.6 mg/L in the subgroup of patients who had herpesvirues DNA in their plaques; mean range was 119.3 mg/L. While in the subgroup of patients, who were negative for herpesvirues DNA, range was 3.1-442.7 mg/L; mean range was 119.8 mg/L. We did not find significant difference between the CRP values in the two subgroups (p was 0.918).

Only six patients (30%) of the second group had CRP level more than 1 mg/L in their sera samples before the surgery, and all patients showed increased level after the surgery approximately fold hundreds.
The conclusions:

1-There is no significant difference of the CRP values between patients who had herpesvirues DNA in their plaques and those who had not.
2-The natural serum CRP values may not express the actual concentrations in coronary tissues (plaques especially complicated ones) because the CRP concentration was very high in plaques as it was shown in some studies.
3-The high values of CRP >100 mg/L may be explained:

A-The occurrence of infectious complications accompanied or post-surgery.
B-Or the level of CRP after bypass surgery rises more than 100mg/L, and this level is higher than the data mentioned in literatures.

Link to read full paper

http://scla.org.sy/magazine/issues/3_8/84.html