CRP

Literature References: Homogeneous acute phase protein, found in man and most other animals. Discovered as a result of its precipitation with C-polysaccharide (CPS) in sera of patients with infections and inflammatory disease: W. S. Tillet, T. Francis, J. Exp. Med. 52, 561 (1930). Characterization as a protein and identification of its calcium ion requirement for interaction with CPS: T. J. Abernathy, O. T. Avery, ibid. 73, 173 (1941). CRP is a trace serum protein consisting of single subunits of mol wt about 21,000. In serum and in the purified state, the subunits aggregate as cyclic pentamers having mol wts of 110,000-144,000. The concentrations of C-reactive protein increase up to 1000-fold in inflammatory conditions and in tissue necrosis. In addition, it can initiate reactions of agglutination, precipitation, and opsonization for phagocytosis and can activate the complement system. Other biological activities with platelets and lymphocytes have also been described, but the full biological functions of CRP have not yet been completely elucidated. Review of CRP and the acute phase response: H. Gewurz et al., Adv. Intern. Med. 27, 345-372 (1982). Review of structure and function: M. B. Pepys, Eur. J. Rheumatol. Inflammation 5, 386-397 (1982). Book: Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci. 389, entitled "C-Reactive Protein and the Plasma Protein Response to Tissue Injury", I. Kushner et al., Eds. (1982) 482 pp.