c-reactive protein

[serene]

Been doing a bit of research on that elevated level on my blood tests.
Here's some of what I found about it. Not worried, just collecting data.



C-reactive protein is a special type of protein produced by the liver that
is only present during episodes of acute inflammation. The most important
role of CRP is its interaction with the complement system, which is one of
the body's immunologic defense mechanisms.

While this is not a specific test, it does give a general indication of
acute inflammation. Your health care provider might use this test to check
for flare-ups of inflammatory diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, lupus,
or vasculitis. The test might also be useful to monitor response to
therapy.

Recently, new studies have suggested that CRP may also be elevated in
heart attacks. The role of CRP in coronary artery disease remains unclear.
It is not known whether it is merely a marker of disease or whether it
actually plays a role in causing atherosclerotic disease. Many consider
elevated CRP to be a positive risk factor for coronary artery disease.

Normal Values

Normal CRP values vary from lab to lab, but generally there is no CRP
detectable in the blood (less than 0.6 mg/dL). [Note: my level is 3.5]

What abnormal results mean

Since the CRP is a general test, a positive CRP may indicate a number of
things, including:

Rheumatoid arthritis
Rheumatic fever
Cancer
Tuberculosis
Pneumococcal pneumonia
Myocardial infarction
SLE
Connective tissue disease
Bacterial, viral, fungal, or parastic infection
Other causes of ongoing inflammation