Diagnostic utility and Assessment of C - reactive protein [CRP] in patients with community acquired pneumonia

ABSTRACT

It has been researched and agreed upon that pneumonia elicits a powerful inflammatory response with the release of inflammatory mediators or biomarkers, such as acute-phase proteins, inteleukin-6 and C-reactive protein [CRP] from activated mononuclear phagocyte cells. It is also known and recommended that the early analysis of serum concentrations of CRP is a significant tool for the diagnosis and monitoring of different acute inflammatory processes. Community-acquired pneumonia [CAP] is documented to be the major cause of death in the western world and effects increasing number of population annually. In present study we have investigated the suggested usefulness of serum CRP levels in patients with CAP at the time of diagnosis and compared it with CRP of healthy controls. One hundred and seventy one [n = 171] patients were included in the study and classified according to presence of pathogens/ etiology in individual capacity as well as in combination with other organisms. All microbiological assays were performed according to standardized procedures, whereas CRP was measured in serum samples by an automated turbid metric method with normal reference of patients [50.87%] had an identifiable etiology with bacterial pathogens as the causative agents whereas 32 [18.71%] with viral origin, 12 [7.0%] with other pathogens and 40 patients [23.39%] with negative microbiological findings. CRP values were comparable [non-significant] in different etiologic groups of bacterial origin, except Streptococcus pneumoniae and Klebsiella .pneumoniae groups [P<0.05], whereas highly significant when compared viral etiology, other pathogens [P<0.01] and negative microbiological findings [P<0.001]. In conclusion the study noted that in patients with confirmed evidence of pneumonia and bacterial pneumonia pathogens as the causative agents; serum CRP levels are greater, ranged between 95.28 +/- 10. 75 to 121 +/- 18.35 mg/Land thus seems to predict severity of illness, in addition to assist in deciding on the appropriate site of care e.g., hospital or home