A 38-year-old patient suffers from rheumatism in its active phase. What laboratory characteristic of blood serum is of diagnostic importance in case of this pathology?

Answer options

1. Creatinine
2. Uric acid
3. Urea
4. C-reactive protein
5. Transferrin

Explanation

A 38 year old patient suffers from rheumatism in its active phase. What laboratory characteristic of blood serum is of diagnostic importance in case of this pathology?C-reactive protein (CRP) is an annular (ring-shaped), pentameric protein found in blood plasma, whose levels rise in response to inflammation. It is an acute-phase protein of hepatic origin that increases following interleukin-6 secretion by macrophages and T cells. CRP is synthesized by the liver in response to factors released by macrophages and fat cells (adipocytes).