C-Reactive Protein Qualitative

CRP Qualitative Test detects the presence of increased CRP in blood. C-reactive Protein or CRP is an acute phase reactant protein which is produced and secreted by the liver in response to any inflammation in the body, which may be caused by tissue injury, infection, or autoimmune diseases. CRP increases in patients of post surgery or patients suffering with trauma, heart attack, autoimmune diseases, bacterial infections, sepsis, cancer, etc. CRP levels are often increased before the onset of other symptoms of inflammation such as pain, fever, etc. CRP levels in blood fall as the inflammation subsides.

 Another version of the CRP test called CRP Quantitative Test measures the levels of CRP in blood and is prescribed more routinely. CRP test is performed to determine the presence of an inflammation or to monitor the treatment and progress of an inflammatory condition. It is a non-specific test. It can neither diagnose a condition by itself nor can it determine the location of a particular inflammation or disease. Other tests along with physical examination are performed to diagnose a particular condition and determine the location.

CRP test can detect flare-ups in a chronic inflammatory condition, as well as is useful in monitoring the patient’s response to treatment.

A variant of the CRP test is the High Sensitivity C-reactive Protein Test (hs-CRP) which is more sensitive as compared to standard CRP Test since it can detect even the lowest concentration of CRP levels in the blood. The hs-CRP Test is usually performed to determine the risk of development of cardiovascular diseases in otherwise healthy individuals.