Horowitz J, Volanakis J E, Briles D E
J Immunol. 1987 Apr 15;138(8):2598-603.
C-reactive protein (CRP) has long been known to be an acute phase protein associated with infection and various forms of tissue damage. Recent studies have shown that human CRP can be used to passively protect mice from lethal infection with Streptococci pneumoniae. In this study we have undertaken a detailed examination of the ability of human CRP and rabbit CRP (CxRP) to mediate the blood clearance of pneumococci in mice. We have shown that the optimal activity of these acute-phase proteins requires a functioning complement system, and it can take place even in the xid mouse, which has virtually no naturally occurring anti-pneumococcal antibody in its serum. These studies provide additional evidence that CRP may play a protective role in pneumococcal infections, and it may help postpone the development of fatal levels of pneumococci in the blood, long enough for an effective anti-pneumococcal antibody response to be generated.
长期以来，人们一直认为C反应蛋白（CRP）是一种与感染及各种组织损伤形式相关的急性期蛋白。最近的研究表明，人CRP可用于被动保护小鼠免受肺炎链球菌致死性感染。在本研究中，我们详细考察了人CRP和兔CRP（CxRP）介导小鼠体内肺炎球菌血液清除的能力。我们发现，这些急性期蛋白的最佳活性需要一个功能正常的补体系统，并且即使在血清中几乎没有天然抗肺炎球菌抗体的xid小鼠中也能发生。这些研究提供了额外的证据，表明CRP可能在肺炎球菌感染中发挥保护作用，并且它可能有助于延缓血液中肺炎球菌达到致死水平的发展，时间足够长以产生有效的抗肺炎球菌抗体反应。
