Abstract

GONZALEZ NARANJO, Luis Alonso  and  MOLINA RESTREPO, José Fernando. Laboratory evaluation of inflammation. Rev.Colomb.Reumatol. [online]. 2010, vol.17, n.1, pp.35-47. ISSN 0121-8123.

The acute phase response reflects of inflammation both acute and ongoing chronic inflammation and occurs in a wide variety of inflammatory conditions such as infections, trauma, surgery, burns, malignancies, inflammatory rheumatic and certain immune reactions drug. The erythrocyte sedimentation rate and leukocytosis with left shift are diagnostic markers for inflammatory and infectious diseases. The levels of acute-phase proteins, especially C-reactive protein, are used to assess both the presence of inflammation and any response to treatment. The measurement of C-reactive protein levels is useful in three types of pathological situation: infection, acute or chronic inflammation, and evaluation of metabolic risk. Procalcitonin is an useful marker of sepsis and severe infection. High levels of ferritin are characteristic of adult-onset Still's disease and hemophagocytic syndrome, both associated with inflammation. Although serum levels of cytokines are crucial for the generation of inflammation, their usefulness in the clinic is still under investigation. Serum concentrations of cytokine inhibitors or soluble cytokine receptors could provide important information for monitoring autoinflammatory diseases.

Keywords : nflammation; acute-phase proteins; rheumatic diseases; cytokines; C-reactive protein; erythrocyte sedimentation rate.