C reactive protein

C reactive protein

Lab medicine A 120 kD polypeptide of the pentraxin family which is produced by the liver during inflammation and detectable in serum in various conditions particularly during acute immune responses, named for its ability to bind the C polysaccharide of the S pneumoniae cell wall; CRP is an 'acute phase reactant' and is a biological marker for inflammation and necrosis Function Complement activation, T-cell binding, inhibition of clot retraction, suppression of platelet and lymphocyte function, enhancement of phagocytosis by PMNs; CRP is more predictive of cardiovascular events than LDL cholesterol; CRP is used to monitor early deterioration or development of complications of therapy–eg, empyema after pneumonectomy. See Acute phase reactant.