C-reaction protein (CRP) is a critical inflammation indicator during the diagnosis and treatment of rheumatism diseases such as rheumatism (RA).
With the development of medical testing techniques, CRP testing is no longer limited to conventional CRPs, and hypersensitized C-reacting proteins (hs-CRPs) are beginning to be widely used in clinical applications.
What, then, is the difference between normal CRP and hs-CRP from the point of view of rheumatologists?
What is C Reaction Protein (CRP)?
C Responsive protein is a form of protein that rises sharply in plasma when the organism is infected or damaged by tissue, and which is the opposite in acute cases.
It is widespread in the human body and has significant individual differences. CRP levels rise rapidly in a short period of time when the human body is exposed to stress such as bacterial infections, viral infections, trauma, inflammation, surgery and tumour immersion, often at levels that are directly related to the severity of inflammation.
General CRP and hs-CRP differences
While common CRPs and hs-CRPs are inherently tested for the same substance — C-reaction proteins — they differ significantly in clinical applications due to differences in detection methods and sensitivity.
Common CRP tests are relatively less sensitive. It is commonly tested using conventional techniques such as immuno-paralyse, and can be detected at levels above 10 mg/L. When the inflammation response is strong and CRP levels rise to a certain level, normal CRP tests give more accurate results.
The hs-CRP test uses more sophisticated and sophisticated technology. For example, it may be able to detect lower concentrations of CRPs, with lower detection limits of 0.3 mg/L, or even lower, using methods such as emulsion-enrichment immunisation vs. slurs.
There is also a focus on generic CRPs and hs-CRPs in clinical applications.
General CRPs are used primarily for the diagnosis and identification of infectious and inflammatory diseases, such as bacterial infections, viral infections, self-immunological diseases, etc. By contrast, the use of hs-CRP has been broader and, in addition to infectious and inflammatory diseases, it has been widely used for risk assessment of cardiovascular diseases.
Numerous studies have shown that the rise of hs-CRP levels is closely related to the occurrence of cardiovascular events, such as coronary heart disease and myocardial infarction, and regular testing of hs-CRPs helps us to understand potential cardiovascular risks at an early stage.
Diagnostic value of RA
Rheumatism (RA) is a common chronic, self-immunological disease, characterized by arthritis, which often results in corrosion, pain, rigidity and even malformation, and falls within the category of Chinese medical “paralytic certificates”.
The “Protesting Guide Medical Case” says: “The trimester of typhoid and dysentery, the venom, the blood of the venom, has turned into bruised condensation, mixed with the past…”
In RA diagnostics, CRP levels are often closely related to the activity and severity of the disease. While regular CRP tests can also reflect the inflammation status of RA patients, they often require significant changes to be detected when inflammation is more pronounced.
The hs-CRP, on the other hand, is more sensitive, and even at an early stage of the disease, when the joints are only slightly inflammated, the immunocellular cells are activated, and the hs-CRP is likely to have risen when there is a small increase in the funnet. This is critical for the early diagnosis of RAs, which can help rheumatologists to detect disease earlier, take timely treatment and improve patient prognosis.
In practical clinical applications, common CRPs and hs-CRPs are often applied in conjunction with other indicators, providing more comprehensive diagnostic information. For example, joint testing of hs-CRPs, rheumatizing factors (RFs) and red-cell deposition rates (ESRs) can significantly improve the diagnostic effectiveness of RAs and reduce the risk of errors and omissions.
Comprehensive judgment is important.
When selecting CRP tests, rheumatologists are required to judge on the patient ‘ s particular circumstances.
For patients with explicit symptoms of infection or inflammation, regular CRP testing meets the demand. Hs-CRP tests are recommended for health screenings that require a risk assessment of cardiovascular diseases, or for patients suspected of RA, but with unusual symptoms.
In addition, CRP needs to be emptied before testing to avoid the effect of diet on the results. At the same time, CRP levels are influenced by a variety of factors, such as age, sex, obesity, smoking, etc., and therefore need to be considered in a holistic manner when interpreting the results.
Carnation: This is based on the sharing of diseases and is not a substitute for hospital visits. Comments are for reference purposes only, and medical advice is required for specific treatments.
References:
[1] Spoken. Supersensitized C reacts to proteins, rheumatism factors and red cell deposition rates to test the diagnostic value of rheumatism arthritis [. J]. Heilongjiang Medicine Sciences, 2024, 47 (05): 175-177.[2] Rheumatizer, CRP and immunoglobin testing applications in the diagnosis of rheumatism arthritis [J]. China Journal of Metallurgy Industrial Medicine, 2022, 39 (06): 702-703.
[3] Song Jian, Yu Li, Wang Wenhua, etc. The clinical value of the ACCP antibody antibody rheumatism combined with four RF, ESR, CRP, ASO tests [J]. China Journal of Local Disease Control and Prevention, 2016, 31 (01): 77-78.
