C-Reactive Protein (CRP) has long been used as a sensitive marker of acute inflammation. More recent studies suggest however that subtle changes in CRP levels within the traditional normal range are indicative of inflammatory processes that may play a role in the atherosclerotic plaque formation. Assays capable of measuring these low levels are referred to as “high-sensitivity CRP”. These batch assays generally provide an order of magnitude greater sensitivity enabling two decimal place reporting within the normal range of 0 - 1 mg/dL, compared to the routine rapid-turnaround assays for large acute changes in the 0 - 15 mg/dL range.
C-Reactive Protein is an acute phase reactant. Elevated results (>10.0 mg/L by the high-sensitivity assay) may suggest an inflammatory condition and should be repeated after a minimum of several weeks to assure that the patient is in a basal condition.