Prognostic role of C-reactive protein in prostate ：ancer： a systematic review and meta-analysis

Several studies have reported that C-reactive protein （CRP）, an inflammation biomarker, may be associated with the prognosis of prostate cancer （PCa）. The objective of this systematic review is to summarize the predictive role of CRP for survival in PCa as reported in previous studies. Related studies were identified, and evaluated for quality through multiple search strategies. Data was collected from studies comparing overall and cancer-specific survival （CSS） in patients with elevated CRP levels and those having lower levels. However, for progression-free survival （PFS）, data were collected according to the log of CRP. The hazard ratio （HR） and its 95% confidence interval （Cl） were used to assess the strength of associations. A total of nine studies （n = 1,497） were evaluated in this meta-analysis （five for overall survival （OS）, four for CSS and two for PFS）. For OS and PFS, the pooled HR of CRP was statistically significant at 1.51 （95% Cl, 1.28-1.79） and 1.50 （95% Cl, 1.25-1.81）, respectively. For CSS, the pooled HR was 1.91 （95% CI, 1.36-2.69） with higher CRP expression in PCa, which strongly indicates poorer survival in PCa. This study demonstrates that CRP may have a critical prognostic value in patients with prostatic cancer.

Assessment of C-Reactive Protein/Serum Albumin Ratio in Relation to Acute Presentation and Early Outcome of Patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome

Background: Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is the leading cardiovascular (CV) cause of mortality. C reactive protein (CRP) has linked with long-term risk of recurrent cardiovascular events or death. Albumin, in contrast to CRP known as a negative acute-phase protein. Thus a newly introduced marker assessed relation of CRP to albumin ratio (CAR), which may provide better results than the use of either marker alone. The aim of the study is to assess the association of C-reactive protein to albumin ratio (CAR) with in-hospital short-term major adverse cardiac events (MACEs) in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients. Patients & Methods: A multi-centers prospective cohort study was conducted at coronary intensive care units (CICU) in Baghdad during the period from March to October 2021 that included a total of 132 patients who were diagnosed as a case of ACS. They were assessed for major adverse cardiac events (MACEs) like cardiogenic shock, arrhythmias, post-MI angina, and acute heart failure while inside the ward, in addition to need for early interventional therapeutic approach in relation to (CAR) immediately at time of admission to hospital. Results: High values of CAR, whether using hs-CRP or CRP, were identified as an independent predictor for in-hospital MACEs (P value Conclusion: The CAR was independently correlated with in-hospital short-term MACEs and can be used for risk stratification in patients with ACS.

Relationship of High Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein with Cardiovascular, Diabetic, and Hepatic Biomarkers

Biomarkers are early predictors of various disorders, circulating level of C-reactive protein is a sensitive biomarker of systemic inflammation and may also be associated with the development of diabetic, hepatic, and cardiovascular diseases. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the association between circulating levels of high sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and various biomarkers for hepatic, diabetic, and cardiovascular health. The retrospective analysis included 438 individuals who were tested for these panels simultaneously at Vibrant America Clinical Laboratory. The study population included free-living individuals without any preexisting clinical conditions. Among the cardiovascular markers, a positive correlation and significant association was found between high levels of hs-CRP and serum levels of triglycerides (r = 0.0964, p −0.1423, p −0.1216, p < 0.0105) with circulating levels of hs-CRP. Among all the diabetic markers, glucose (r = 0.1547, p < 0.0011) and glycated serum protein (r = 0.1725, p < 0.0003) were positively correlated with circulating hs-CRP. In the hepatic panel, AST, a transaminase that plays a vital role in amino acid metabolism, was found to have a strong positive correlation with hs-CRP (r = 0.2139, p < 0.0001). In conclusion, the results clearly show the association of hs-CRP with diabetic, hepatic, and cardiovascular risk factors indicating its central value as a key marker for several lifestyle-associated disorders.

Association between Metabolic Syndrome Components and Serum High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein or Interleukin-6 Levels among Congolese Adults

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) and its components have been linked to elevated serum levels of inflammatory biomarkers such as C-reactive protein, interleukin-6, interleukin-1β and tumor necrosis factor alpha. The aim of our study was to address the association between MetS components with serum hs-CRP and IL-6 levels among Congolese adults. A total of 357 participants (aged 30 - 87 years) were included in this cross-sectional study. Anthropometrics were collected and fasting blood sampled for assessment of fasting blood glycaemia (FBG), lipids and inflammatory parameters using commercially available assays. NCEP-ATPIII criteria were used to define MetS. The Median (IQR) hs-CRP and IL-6 levels were higher in participants with MetS than in those without ([7 (4, 14) versus 6 (4, 8)] mg/L;p = 0.092 and [23.8 (20.9, 27.6) versus 22.3 (19.5, 25.0)] pg/mL;p = 0.002). hs-CRP and IL-6 levels were significantly higher in females with MetS than in those without, but not in males. Among participants, only TG was correlated with hs-CRP (r = 0.149, p = 0.007), and a significant correlation was observed between TG (r = 0.116, p = 0.037), FBG (r = 0.208, p = 0.000), HDL-C (r = −0.119, p = 0.034) and SBP (r = 0.143, p = 0.010) and IL-6. In males, hs-CRP levels were positively correlated with TG (0.316;p = 0.000), negatively with HDL-C (r = −0.290, p = 0.0022), without such correlations in females. In Ames, IL-6 levels were positively correlated with FBG (r = 0.202;p = 0.035), and negatively with HDL-C (r = −0.249, p = 0.009). Significant correlations between IL-6 levels and FBG (r = 0.214;p = 0.000) or SBP (r = 0.227, p = 0.000) were observed in females. Logistic regression analysis was carried out to identify the relationship between MetS components and hs-CRP or IL-6. Values of area under receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curves suggest potential use of serum hs-CRP (AUC = 0.675) and IL-6 (AUC = 0.656) as diagnostic biomarkers of MetS. Combination of hs-CRP and IL-6 improved diagnosis accuracy, yielding a 0.698 ROC curve area. MetS components are associated with hs-CRP and IL-6 levels among adults Congolese. Combining the two biomarkers hs-CRP and IL-6 improves Mets diagnostic accuracy compared to hs-CRP or IL-6 alone.

Correlation between C-reactive Protein and Morphology of Aortic Intramural Hematoma on CT Angiography

Objectives To investigate the morphologic characteristics of intramural hematoma(IMH)on CT angiography(CTA),and evaluate the possible correlation of serum C-reactive protein(CRP)with morphologic characteristics of IMH.Material and Methods Forty-two patients who were initially diagnosed as IMH by aortic CTA and also had serum CRP examination on the same day of CTA were enrolled in this retrospective study,including 30 males and 12 females,with the mean age of 61±14 years old.The volumetric CT data were retrospectively processed and analyzed on post-processing workstation.Based on the thickness of IMH and the length-area curve,the crosssectional area of true lumen and total vessel were measured,the hematoma-vessel ratio(HVR)was calculated.Imaging characteristics were compared between patients who had pathological elevated CRP(>0.8 mg/dl)and those did not.Spearman correlation analyses of CRP level and morphological characteristics of IMH were performed,and the receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was used to evaluate the diagnostic validity of CRP.Results Of all 42 IMH patients,the mean serum CRP was 3.94±4.71 mg/dl,and the mean HVR was 46.7%±14.2%.HVR in patients with elevated CRP was significantly higher than those with normal CRP(49.7%±15.0%vs.40.7%±10.5%,P=0.030).HVR was mildly correlated with CRP in all patients(r=0.48,P<0.001).CRP levels differed neither between patients with Stanford type A and B(P=0.207),nor between patients with and without intimal disruption(P=0.230).To discriminate HVR>47%(the mean value),the area under curve(AUC)were 0.700(95%CI:0.535-0.865)for CRP at a cutoff point of 3.55 mg/dl,with a sensitivity of 54.5%and a specificity of 90.0%.Conclusion CRP was mildly correlated with the severity of cross-sectional hematoma area of IMH,but not with Stanford types and the presence of intimal disruption.

Analysis of the autophagy gene expression profile of pancreatic cancer based on autophagy-related protein microtubule-associated protein 1A/1B-light chain 3

BACKGROUND Pancreatic cancer is a highly invasive malignant tumor. Expression levels of the autophagy-related protein microtubule-associated protein 1 A/1 B-light chain 3(LC3) and perineural invasion(PNI) are closely related to its occurrence and development. Our previous results showed that the high expression of LC3 was positively correlated with PNI in the patients with pancreatic cancer. In this study, we further searched for differential genes involved in autophagy of pancreatic cancer by gene expression profiling and analyzed their biological functions in pancreatic cancer, which provides a theoretical basis for elucidating the pathophysiological mechanism of autophagy in pancreatic cancer and PNI.AIM To identify differentially expressed genes involved in pancreatic cancer autophagy and explore the pathogenesis at the molecular level.METHODS Two sets of gene expression profiles of pancreatic cancer/normal tissue(GSE16515 and GSE15471) were collected from the Gene Expression Omnibus.Significance analysis of microarrays algorithm was used to screen differentially expressed genes related to pancreatic cancer. Gene Ontology(GO) analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG) pathway analysis were used to analyze the functional enrichment of the differentially expressed genes. Protein interaction data containing only differentially expressed genes was downloaded from String database and screened. Module mining was carried out by Cytoscape software and ClusterOne plug-in. The interaction relationship between the modules was analyzed and the pivot nodes between the functional modules were determined according to the information of the functional modules and the data of reliable protein interaction network.RESULTS Based on the above two data sets of pancreatic tissue total gene expression, 6098 and 12928 differentially expressed genes were obtained by analysis of genes with higher phenotypic correlation. After extracting the intersection of the two differential gene sets, 4870 genes were determined. GO analysis showed that 14 significant functional items including negative regulation of protein ubiquitination were closely related to autophagy. A total of 986 differentially expressed genes were enriched in these functional items. After eliminating the autophagy related genes of human cancer cells which had been defined, 347 differentially expressed genes were obtained. KEGG pathway analysis showed that the pathways hsa04144 and hsa04020 were related to autophagy. In addition,65 clustering modules were screened after the protein interaction network was constructed based on String database, and module 32 contains the LC3 gene,which interacts with multiple autophagy-related genes. Moreover, ubiquitin C acts as a pivot node in functional modules to connect multiple modules related to pancreatic cancer and autophagy.CONCLUSION Three hundred and forty-seven genes associated with autophagy in human pancreatic cancer were concentrated, and a key gene ubiquitin C which is closely related to the occurrence of PNI was determined, suggesting that LC3 may influence the PNI and prognosis of pancreatic cancer through ubiquitin C.

Combined Effects of Family History of Cardiovascular Disease and Serum C-reactive Protein Level on the Risk of Stroke: A 9.2-year Prospective Study among Mongolians in China

Objective We aimed to evaluate the combined effect of a family history of cardiovascular disease（CVD） and high serum C‐reactive protein（CRP） on the stroke incidence in an Inner Mongolian population in China. Methods A prospective cohort study was conducted from June 2002 to July 2012, with 2,544 participants aged 20 years and over from Inner Mongolia, China. We categorized participants into four groups based on the family history of CVD and CRP levels. Results We adjusted for age; sex; smoking; drinking; hypertension; body mass index; waist circumference; and blood glucose, triglycerides, low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol, and high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol levels. Compared with the group with no family history of CVD/low CRP levels, the group with family history of CVD/high CRP levels had a hazard ratio（HR） of 1.78 [95% confidence interval（CI）, 1.03‐3.07; P = 0.039] of stroke, and an HR of 2.14（95% CI, 1.09‐4.20; P = 0.027） of ischemic stroke. The HRs of hemorrhagic stroke for the other three groups were not statistically significant（all P 〉 0.05）. Conclusion Participants with both a family history of CVD and high CRP levels had the highest stroke incidence, suggesting that high CRP levels may increase stroke risk, especially of ischemic stroke, among individuals with a family history of CVD.

Elevated Homocysteine and C-reactive Protein Levels Independently Predict Worsening Prognosis after Stroke in Chinese Patients

Increased plasma total homocysteine (tHcy) and high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) levels are independent risk factors for cardiovascular disease.However, the predictive value of tHcy in combination with hsCRP in patients with stroke is not known.To determine the relationship between tHcy and hsCRP, we enrolled 291 patients with first-onset stroke (196 ischemic and 95 hemorrhagic).Plasma tHcy and hsCRP levels were measured and subsequent vascular events and deaths were determined over a 5-year period.Using the arbitrary cutoff for tHcy (【18 μmol/L and ≥18 μmol/L) and hsCRP (【1 mg/L, 1-3 mg/L and 】3 mg/L), the patients were divided into 6 groups.Survival analysis showed that the probability of death or new vascular events during a 5-year follow-up increased according to tHcy and hsCRP levels (P【0.01).The relative risk (RR) of death or new vascular events was 4.67 (95% CI, 1.96 to 11.14, P=0.001) in patients with high tHcy (≥18 μmol/L) and hsCRP (】3 mg/L) compared with those with low tHcy (【18 μmol/L) and hsCRP (【1 mg/L).The increased tHcy level (≥18 μmol/L) combined with increased hsCRP level (】3 mg/L) was still significantly associated with the risk of death or new vascular events (RR, 4.10, 95% CI, 1.61 to 10.45, P=0.003) even when adjusted for other risk factors at inclusion.The combination of increased tHcy and hsCRP levels had a stronger predictive value than increased hsCRP alone or increased tHcy level alone.Further studies are required to evaluate the potential decrease in risks associated with lowering both Hcy and hsCRP levels in patients that present with both increased tHcy and hsCRP.

Predictive value of C-reactive protein/albumin ratio in acute pancreatitis

BACKGROUND:Serum C-reactive protein(CRP) increases and albumin decreases in patients with inflammation and infection.However,their role in patients with acute pancreatitis is not clear.The present study was to investigate the predictive significance of the CRP/albumin ratio for the prognosis and mortality in acute pancreatitis patients.METHODS:This study was performed retrospectively with 192 acute pancreatitis patients between January 2002 and June 2015.Ranson scores,Atlanta classification and CRP/albumin ratios of the patients were calculated.RESULTS:The CRP/albumin ratio was higher in deceased patients compared to survivors.The CRP/albumin ratio was positively correlated with Ranson score and Atlanta classification in particular and with important prognostic markers such as hospitalization time,CRP and erythrocyte sedimentation rate.In addition to the CRP/albumin ratio,necrotizing pancreatitis type,moderately severe and severe Atlanta classification,and total Ranson score were independent risk factors of mortality.It was found that an increase of 1 unit in the CRP/albumin ratio resulted in an increase of 1.52 times in mortality risk.A prediction value about CRP/albumin ratio >16.28 was found to be a significant marker in predicting mortality with 92.1% sensitivity and 58.0% specificity.It was seen that Ranson and Atlanta classification were higher in patients with CRP/albumin ratio >16.28 compared with those with CRP/albumin ratio ≤16.28.Patients with CRP/albumin ratio >16.28 had a 19.3 times higher chance of death.CONCLUSION:The CRP/albumin ratio is a novel but promising,easy-to-measure,repeatable,non-invasive inflammationbased prognostic score in acute pancreatitis.

The prognostic value of serum C-reactive protein-bound serum amyloid A in early-stage lung cancer

Background:Elevated levels of serum C-reactive protein(CRP) have been reported to have prognostic significance in lung cancer patients.This study aimed to further identify CRP-bound components as prognostic markers for lung cancer and validate their prognostic value.Methods:CRP-bound components obtained from the serum samples from lung cancer patients or healthy controls were analyzed by differential proteomics analysis.CRP-bound serum amyloid A(CRP-SAA) was evaluated by coimmunoprecipitation(IP).Serum samples from two independent cohorts with lung cancer(retrospective cohort,242patients;prospective cohort,222 patients) and healthy controls(159 subjects) were used to evaluate the prognostic value of CRP-SAA by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.Results:CRP-SAA was identified specifically in serum samples from lung cancer patients by proteomic analysis.CRP binding to SAA was confirmed by co-IP in serum samples from lung cancer patients and cell culture media.The level of CRP-SAA was significantly higher in patients than in healthy controls(0.37 ± 0.58 vs.0.03 ± 0.04,P < 0.001).Elevated CRP-SAA levels were significantly associated with severe clinical features of lung cancer.The elevation of CRPSAA was associated with lower survival rates for both the retrospective(hazard ration[HR]= 2.181,95%confidence interval[CI]= 1.641-2.897,P < 0.001) and the prospective cohorts(HR = 2.744,95%CI = 1.810-4.161,P < 0.001).Multivariate Cox analysis showed that CRP-SAA was an independent prognostic marker for lung cancer.Remarkably,in stages l-ll patients,only CRP-SAA,not total SAA or CRP,showed significant association with overall survival in two cohorts.Moreover,univariate and multivariate Cox analyses also showed that only CRP-SAA could be used as an independent prognostic marker for early-stage lung cancer patients.Conclusion:CRP-SAA could be a better prognostic marker for lung cancer than total SAA or CRP,especially in earlystage patients.

The Role of High-sensitivity C-reactive Protein, Interleukin-6 and Cystatin C in Ischemic Stroke Complicating Atrial Fibrillation

This study examined the role of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and cystatin C in ischemic stroke complicating atrial fibrillation (AF) and the relationship of systemic inflammation with this disease in order to identify AF patients who are at high risk of stroke and need optimal anticoagulant therapy.A total of 103 AF patients, simple (n=75) or complicated by ischemic stroke (n=28), and 112 control subjects were recruited.IL-6 level was detected by using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay.Cystatin C and hsCRP levels were measured by means of a particle-enhanced immunonephelometric assay.The results showed that the AF patients had higher levels of hsCRP (P=0.004), IL-6 (P=0.000), and cystatin C (P=0.000) than control subjects.Plasma hsCRP level was increased in the AF patients with ischemic stroke as compared to the patients with simple AF (P=0.036).The AF patients who had the level of hsCRP exceeding 3.83 mg/L were at a higher risk than those with hsCRP level lower than 3.83 mg/L (P=0.030).After adjusting for other factors, cystatin C remained positively associated with IL-6 (r=0.613) and hsCRP (r=0.488).It was concluded that hsCRP is positively correlated with ischemic stroke complicating AF and may be a risk factor independent of other risk factors for AF.Elevated cystatin C level is also indicative of the increased risk of AF.

Clinical signif icance of C-reactive protein values in antibiotic treatment for pyogenic liver abscess

AIM:To investigate the clinical signifi cance of C-reactive protein (CRP) values in determining the endpoint of antibiotic treatment for liver abscess after drainage. METHODS: The endpoints of antibiotic treatment in 46 patients with pyogenic liver abscess after complete percutaneous drainage were assessed by performing a retrospective study. After complete percutaneous drainage, normal CRP values were considered as the endpoint in 18 patients (experimental group), and normal body temperature for at least 2 wk were considered as the endpoints in the other 28 patients (control group). RESULTS:The duration of antibiotic treatment after complete percutaneous drainage was 15.83 ± 6.45 d and 24.25 ± 8.18 d for the experimental and the control groups, respectively (P=0.001), being significantly shorter in the experimental group than in the control group. The recurrence rate was 0% for both groups.However, we could not obtain the follow-up data about 3 patients in the control group. CONCLUSION: CRP values can be considered as an independent factor to determine the duration of the antibiotic treatment for pyogenic liver abscess after complete percutaneous drainage.

Impact of clinical and procedural factors upon C reactive protein dynamics following transcatheter aortic valve implantation

AIM: To determine the effect of procedural and clinical factors upon C reactive protein(CRP) dynamics following transcatheter aortic valve implantation(TAVI).METHODS: Two hundred and eight consecutive patients that underwent transfemoral TAVI at two hospitals(Imperial, College Healthcare NHS Trust, Hammersmith Hospital, London, United Kingdom and San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy) were included. Daily venous plasma CRP levels were measured for up to 7 d following the procedure(or up to discharge). Procedural factors and 30-d safety outcomes according tothe Valve Academic Research Consortium 2 definition were collected. RESULTS: Following TAVI, CRP significantly increased reaching a peak on day 3 of 87.6 ± 5.5 mg/d L, P < 0.001. Patients who developed clinical signs and symptoms of sepsis had significantly increased levels of CRP(P < 0.001). The presence of diabetes mellitus was associated with a significantly higher peak CRP level at day 3(78.4 ± 3.2 vs 92.2 ± 4.4, P < 0.001). There was no difference in peak CRP release following balloonexpandable or self-expandable TAVI implantation(94.8 ± 9.1 vs 81.9 ± 6.9, P = 0.34) or if post-dilatation was required(86.9 ± 6.3 vs 96.6 ± 5.3, P = 0.42), however, when pre-TAVI balloon aortic valvuloplasty was performed this resulted in a significant increase in the peak CRP(110.1 ± 8.9 vs 51.6 ± 3.7, P < 0.001). The development of a major vascular complication did result in a significantly increased maximal CRP release(153.7 ± 11.9 vs 83.3 ± 7.4, P = 0.02) and there was a trend toward a higher peak CRP following major/lifethreatening bleeding(113.2 ± 9.3 vs 82.7 ± 7.5, P = 0.12) although this did not reach statistical significance. CRP was not found to be a predictor of 30-d mortality on univariate analysis. CONCLUSION: Careful attention should be paid to baseline clinical characteristics and procedural factors when interpreting CRP following TAVI to determine their future management.

Combined Effects of A Body Shape Index and Serum C-reactive Protein on Ischemic Stroke Incidence among Mongolians in China

Objective We aimed to evaluate the combined effects of a high body shape index(ABSI) and a high serum C-reactive protein(CRP) level on the incidence of ischemic stroke in a Mongolian population in China. Methods A prospective cohort study was conducted among 2,589 participants from June 2002 to July 2012 in Inner Mongolia, China. The participants were categorized into 4 groups according to their level of ABSI and CRP. Cox proportional hazards models were used to assess the hazard ratios(HRs) and 95% confidence intervals(CIs) for ischemic stroke among all groups. Results The multivariate adjusted HRs(95% CI) of ischemic stroke for high ABSI and high CRP level were 1.46(0.89-2.39) and 1.63(0.95-2.79), respectively. Compared with the low ABSI/low CRP level group, the multivariate adjusted HRs(95% CI) of ischemic stroke in the low ABSI/high CRP, high ABSI/low CRP, and high ABSI/high CRP groups were 1.04(0.46-2.35), 1.06(0.58-1.95) and 2.52(1.27-5.00), respectively. The HR of ischemic stroke for the high ABSI/high CRP level group was the highest and most statistically significant. Conclusion We found that participants with simultaneously high ABSI and high CRP levels had the highest risk of ischemic stroke in the Mongolian population. Our findings suggest that the combination of high ABSI and high CRP levels may increase the risk of ischemic stroke.

Changes of plasma C-reactive protein in patients with craniocerebral injury before and after hyperbaric oxygenation: A randomly controlled study

Changes of plasma C-reactive protein in patients with craniocerebral injury before and after hyperbaric oxygenation： A randomly controlled study BACKGROUND： Plasma inflammatory factor, such as C-reactive protein, whose content is regarded as a sensitively pathological marked protein and quantitative indexes of central nervous system injury, has been paid more and more attention in clinic. OBJECTIVE： To observe the effects and clinical significance of C-reactive protein in patients with craniocerebral injury after hyperbaric oxygenation. DESIGN： Randomized controlled study. SETTING： Departments of Neurosurgery, Laboratory and Hyperbaric Oxygen, the Second Affiliated Hospital, Medical College of Shantou University. PARTICIPANTS： A total of 60 patients with craniocerebral injury were selected from Department of Neurosurgery, the Second Affiliated Hospital, Medical College of Shantou University from October 2006 to April 2007. There were 37 males and 23 females and the mean age was 26 years. All subjects were certainly diagnosed as history of craniocerebral injury. Patients hospitalized at 24 hours after injury, Glasgow Coma Score ranged from 3 to 12 points, and all patients were certainly diagnosed with CT or MR scanning. Patients and their relatives provided confirmed consent. All the subjects were randomly divided into hyperbaric oxygenation group and control group with 30 in each group. METHODS： Patients in the control group were treated with routinely neurosurgical therapy after hospitalization; however, based the same basic treatment in the control group, patients in the hyperbaric oxygenation group received hyperbaric oxygenation by using iced-wheel four-door 2-cabin air-compression chamber （made in Yantai） from 24 hours to 10 days after operation or injury. After entering the cabin, patients who had a clear consciousness breathed the oxygen by using face mask; contrarily, patients directly breathed the oxygen. Therapeutic project： Expression was increased for about 15–20 minutes, maintained for about 70–80 minutes, and decreased for 20 minutes. Otherwise, pressure was maintained from 0.2 to 0.25 MPa. Hyperbaric oxygenation took an hour for once a day and 10 times were regarded as a course. Venous blood was collected before treatment and on the next day of the first course end. Content of C-reactive protein in plasma was measured with immune turbidimetry in hyperbaric oxygenation group; in addition, content of C-reactive protein in plasma was directly measured with the same method at the corresponding time in the control group. If the content was less or equal to 8 mg/L, it was regarded as normal value. Effects of the two groups were evaluated based on Glasgow Coma Score before and after treatment. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES： Content of plasma C-reactive protein and Glasgow Coma Score in the two groups before and after treatment. RESULTS： All 60 patients were involved in the final analysis. ① Content of plasma C-reactive protein： The two contents were obviously higher than normal value after craniocerebral injury. There was no significant difference in the two groups before treatment （P 〉 0.05）, but both contents were decreased after treatment, and there was significant difference between HBOT group and control group after treatment （t =4.756, P 〈 0.01）. In addition, there was significant difference in hyperbaric oxygen therapy group before and after treatment （t =5.236, P 〈 0.01）. ② Glasgow Coma Score： There was no significant difference in the two groups before treatment （P 〉 0.05）, but scores were increased in both groups after treatment （t =9.92, 2.51, P 〈 0.01, 0.05）; on the other hand, therefore, there was significant difference between the two groupsafter treatment （t =9.21, P 〈 0.01）. CONCLUSION： Hyperbaric oxygenation can remarkably decrease content of plasma C-reactive protein in patients with craniocerebral injury at the phase of stress.

Elevated levels of inflammatory cytokines and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein in periodontitis patients in Kosovo: A pilot study

The following article has been retracted due to the investigation of complaints received against it. The Editorial Board found that the same contents have been published in another journal at the same time. The scientific community takes a very strong view on this matter, and the Open Journal of Stomatology treats all unethical behavior such as plagiarism seriously. This paper published in Vol.3 No.1 32-38, 2013 has been removed from this site. Title: Elevated levels of inflammatory cytokines and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein in periodontitis patients in Kosovo: A pilot study Authors: Zana Sllamniku-Dalipi, Hasan Mehmeti, Fatmir Dragidella, Ferit Kocani, Metush Disha, Kastriot Meqa, Luljeta Begolli, Gramos

Changes of serum high sensitive C-reactive protein in patients with acute cerebral infarction

BACKGROUND： Serum high sensitive C-reactive protein （hs-CRP）, which regards as a high sensitive mark of systemic inflammatory response syndrome, can provide a lot of valuable information for the treatment and prognosis of cerebrovascular disease. OBJECTIVE： To observe the differences of blood glucose, lipid, homocysteine and previous disease history among patients with acute cerebral infarction at various levels of hs-CRP and compare changes of hs-CRP of patients with various degrees of neurologic impairment. DESIGN： Contrast observation. SETTING： Department of Neurology, Shenzhou Hospital, Shenyang Medical College. PARTICIPANTS： A total of 102 patients with acute cerebral infarction were selected from Department of Neurology, Shenzhou Hospital of Shenyang Medical College from February 2005 to September 2006, including 55 males and 47 females aged from 55 to 86 years. All accepted patients met the diagnostic criteria of cerebral infarction established by the Fourth National Cerebrovascular Disease Academic Meeting and were diagnosed with CT or MRI examination. All patients provided the confirmed consent. Based on clinical criteria of neurologic impairment established by the Fourth National Cerebrovascular Disease Academic Meeting, patients were randomly divided into mild group （0 - 15 points, n =46）, moderate group （16 - 30 points, n =38） and severe group （31 - 45 points, n =18）. In addition, based on hs-CRP level within 72 hours, patients were divided into normal group （hs-CRP ≤3 mg/L, n =53） and increasing group （hs-CRP 〉 3 mg/L, n =-49）. METHODS： ① 2 mL venous blood was selected from hospitalized patients in the next morning to separate serum. Quantitative measurement of hs-CRP was dealt with Latex Enhnced Turbidimetric Immunoassay （LETIA）. ②Fasting venous blood was colleted from hospitalized patients in the next morning to measure numeration of white blood cells, fibrinogen, blood glucose, total cholesterol （TC）, triacylglycerol （TG）, high density lipoprotein cholesterol （HDL-C）, low density lipoprotein cholesterol （LDL-C） and homocysteine. ③Measurement data were compared with t test or analysis of variance. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES： ①Comparisons of serum biochemical indexes among patients with various levels of hs-CRP; ②comparisons of risk factors among patients with various levels of hs-CRP; ③comparisons of levels of hs-CRP among patients with various degrees of clinical neurologic impairment. RESULTS： A total of 102 patients were involved in the final analysis. ①Plasma fibrinogen and numeration of leucocytes were more in the increasing group than those in the normal group （t =4.39, 3.54, P 〈 0.01）; while, there were no significant differences of blood glucose, TC, TG, HDL-C, LDL-C and homocysteine between the two groups （P 〉 0.05）. ② Percentage of patients with hypertension and diabetes mellitus （DM） was higher in the increasing group than the normal group （ Х^2=3.98, 4.23, P 〈 0.05）; while, percentage of patients with smoking in the increasing group was not significantly different from that of patients in the normal group （P 〉 0.05）. ③Level of hs-CRP of patients with severe neurologic impairment was higher than that of patients with moderate neurologic impairment （t =2.273, P 〈 0.05）; that of patients with moderate neurologic impairment was higher than that of patients with mild neurologic impairment （t =2.586, P 〈 0.05）; that of patients with severe neurologic impairment was obviously higher than that of patients with mild neurologic impairment （t = 4.913, P 〈 0.01）. CONCLUSION： ① With the increase of hs-CRP, plasma fibrinogen and numeration of leucocytes of patients with acute cerebral infarction is increased, especially, they are increased remarkably among patients who have history of diabetes mellitus and hypertension. ②Increase of level of hs-CRP can be regarded as one of marks to evaluate severity of acute stroke.

C-reactive protein as a predictor of malignant ventricular arrhythmias in non-ST elevation myocardial infarction

Objective To investigate whether C-reactive protein (CRP) is a biomarker of malignant ventricular arrhythmias (MVA) occurring in non-ST elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) patients with Global Registry of Acute Coronary events (GRACE) scores < 140. Methods A total of 1450 NSTEMI patients were included in this study. Hs-CRP blood levels were measured via a turbidimetric immunoassay after confirming the diagnosis of NSTEMI with GRACE scores < 140. Results Consistent with prior studies, the MVA occurrence rate in our cohort was 6.7%, and patients with MVA exhibited a reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (46.1%± 6.9% vs. 61.5%± 8.7%, P = 0.032), a higher incidence of Killip classification > 1 (34.1% vs. 24.2%, P < 0.001), an increased surgical revascularization rate (34.1% vs. 9.7%, P < 0.001), and increased mortality (16.5% vs. 5.8%, P < 0.001). Serum hs-CRP levels were higher (P = 0.003) in NSTEMI patients with MVA, and this increase appeared unrelated to other clinical parameters. The C-statistic to discriminate MVA was 0.82 (95% CI: 0.74–0.89). Using receiver operating characteristics analysis, we optimized a cutoff point of 16 mL/L, and the sensitivity and specificity were 95% and 61%, respectively;the positive predictive value was 20% and the negative predictive value was 99%. Conclusions An hs-CRP assay is a potential MVA biomarker in low-risk NSTEMI patients with GRACE scores < 140. If validated in prospective studies, hs-CRP may offer a low-cost supplementary strategy for risk stratification for NSTEMI patients.

Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome and cardiovascular disease: The influence of C-reactive protein

Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome(OSAS) is a common medical condition, associated with atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease(CVD). The underlying pathophysiologic mechanisms of this association have not been completely understood and may be multifactorial in origin. A number of studies suggest that inflammatory processes have emerged critical in the pathogenesis of CVD in OSAS. A range of circulating inflammatory molecules has been identified and measured, with a view to assess inflammation and predict vascular damage risk, such as plasma cytokines, adhesion molecules, and C-reactive protein(CRP). CRP is a relevant marker worthy of further study, because not only is elevated in patients with OSAS, but also is rapidly becoming a risk factor for cardiac disease. Furthermore, in selected OSAS patients, aggressive treatment of the disorder may lead to retarding or even improvement of CVD progression. However, still there is a debate on the true correlation between CRP and OSAS, as well as the clinical effect of any reduction after OSAS treatment. Further research is required to define those OSAS patients who will have a considerable reduction with treatment, as well as to understand the significance of the interaction between cardiovascular risk factor and CRP reduction in patients with OSAS.

C-reactive Protein Level,Apolipoprotein B-to-apolipoprotein A-1 Ratio,and Risks of Ischemic Stroke and Coronary Heart Disease among Inner Mongolians in China

Objective We aimed to investigate the cumulative effect of high CRP level and apolipoprotein B-to-apolipoprotein A-1（ApoB/ApoA-1） ratio on the incidence of ischemic stroke（IS） or coronary heart disease（CHD） in a Mongolian population in China.Methods From June 2003 to July 2012,2589 Mongolian participants were followed up for IS and CHD events based on baseline investigation.All the participants were divided into four subgroups according to C-reactive protein（CRP） level and ApoB/ApoA-1 ratio.Cox proportional hazard models were used to estimate the hazard ratios（HRs） and 95% confidence intervals（CIs） for the IS and CHD events in all the subgroups.Results The HRs（95% CI） for IS and CHD were 1.33（0.84-2.12）,1.14（0.69-1.88）,and 1.91（1.17-3.11） in the ‘low CRP level with high ApoB/ApoA-1＇,‘high CRP level with low ApoB/ApoA-1＇,and ‘high CRP level with high ApoB/ApoA-1＇ subgroups,respectively,in comparison with the ‘low CRP level with low ApoB/ApoA-1＇ subgroup.The risks of IS and CHD events was highest in the ‘high CRP level with high ApoB/ApoA-1＇ subgroup,with statistical significance.Conclusion High CRP level with high ApoB/ApoA-1 ratio was associated with the highest risks of IS and CHD in the Mongolian population.This study suggests that the combination of high CRP and ApoB/ApoA-1 ratio may improve the assessment of future risk of developing IS and CHD in the general population.