Indications

• Diabetes

• Dyslipidemia

• Cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk

• Heart attack risk

• Ischemic stroke risk

• Metabolic syndrome

• Obesity

• Peripheral arterial disease risk

Overview

C-reactive protein (CRP) is an established marker of inflammation and has recently been suggested to be an important contributor to the pro-inflammatory and prothrombotic elements of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. Extremely high CRP levels are seen in acute inflammatory states, but the small elevations that are indicative of the pro-inflammatory and pro-thrombotic states implicated in the metabolic syndrome require high sensitivity assays, and are thus referred to as hs-CRP levels.

Studies have shown correlations between elevated hs-CRP and increased risk of future heart attacks, ischemic stroke, and peripheral arterial disease. Overweight, obese, insulin resistant, and diabetic individuals typically have elevated hs-CRP levels; elevations in hs-CRP levels have also been found to predict the development of diabetes.

Practical

Specimen requirements:

Dried bloodspot sample (DBS). (Only requires a shallow finger prick.)

Average processing time:

11 ±4 days

Research

• Beesley R, Al Serouri A, Filteau SM. Measurement of c-reactive protein in dried blood spots on filter paper. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg. 2000; 94: 348- 349.

• Cordon SM, Elborn JS, Hiller EJ, Shale DJ. C-reactive protein measured in dried blood spots from patients with cystic fibrosis. J Immunol Methods 1991; 143(1): 69-72.

• Kapur S, Kapur S, Zava D. Cardiometabolic risk factors assessed by a finger stick dried blood spot method. J Diabetes Sci Technol 2008;2:236-241.

• Khera A, McGuire DK, Murphy SA et al. Race and gender differences in C-reactive protein levels. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2005; 46(3): 464- 469.

• Marques-Vidal P, Mazoyer E, Bongard V, et al. Prevalence of insulin resistance syndrome in southwestern France and its relationship with inflammatory and hemostatic markers. Diabetes Care 2002;25:1371-7.

• McDade TW, Burhop J, Dohnal J. High sensitivity enzyme immunoassay for C-reactive protein in dried blood spots. Clin Chem 2004; 50:652-4.

• Pradhan AD, Manson JE, Rifai N, Buring JE, Ridker PM. C-reactive protein, interleukin 6, and risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus. JAMA 2001;286:327-34.