Significance of C-reactive protein elevation in the pretreatment stage of systemic lupus erythematosus.

The significance of C-reactive protein (CRP) elevation in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in the pretreatment stage was assessed with reference to other laboratory data obtained simultaneously. Sixteen of 31 cases were CRP-positive, and the CR-positive group contained significantly more cases with urinary cellular casts and with a high anti-DNA antibody titer, compared with the CRP-negative group. We suggest that CRP in patients with SLE, as measured at the time of the first consultation, reflects the severity of the disease. This includes those cases complicated by nephropathy.