[Biological and clinical significance of acute phase proteins with particular emphasis on the role of C-reactive protein].

The acute phase response is a non-specific, early phenomenon, in which the concentration of a number of plasma proteins is increased following most forms of tissue injury, bacterial infection, inflammation, malignant neoplasia and surgical procedures. These plasma proteins are collectively termed acute-phase proteins. Their most important role is to restore the homeostasis of human organism. C-reactive protein (CRP) regarding his dynamic reaction, is one of the best non-specific biochemical indicators of most disorders. The multiple quantitative measurement of CRP is usefull in the diagnosis, differentiation, the assessment of treatment effectiveness and patient's prognosis, additionally to other clinical parameters.