When it comes to C-Reactive Protein (CRP) and High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein (hsCRP),
many friends have such questions:
“Both are CRP, are they the same protein?”
“Is what is being tested the same thing?”
If so, why are there two names?”
Today,
I will help everyone understand
these two testing items that we often confuse.
Are CRP and hsCRP the same protein? Is what is being tested the same substance?
Chemically, they both belong to the same protein—C-Reactive Protein, so the substance being tested is naturally the same, but they differ in testing methods, detection ranges, and clinical significance. The “hs” in English stands for high sensitivity, which is what we commonly refer to as high-sensitivity or hs CRP.
Why are there different detection ranges and clinical significances for the same protein?
To answer this question, we first need to understand these two substances in depth.
1. CRP is an acute phase response protein that plays an important role in various physiological and pathological processes in the body. When the body encounters bacterial infections, certain chronic rheumatic inflammations, or connective tissue diseases, CRP levels will significantly increase. It is currently the most widely used inflammatory marker in clinical practice. For example, when we go to the hospital with a cold and fever, in addition to a complete blood count, doctors usually also test for CRP, mainly to differentiate between bacterial and viral infections.
Routine clinical testing for CRP generally uses immunoturbidimetric methods or immunonephelometric methods, both of which have low sensitivity, with a linear range typically between 3-200 mg/L.
2. The characteristic of hsCRP is its high sensitivity, which means it can detect low concentrations of CRP, making it a sensitive indicator for distinguishing low-level inflammatory states. Clinically, methods such as latex-enhanced immunoturbidimetry, immunonephelometry, and chemiluminescence are commonly used, with the lowest detection limit as low as 0.005-0.1 mg/L.
hsCRP has significant application value in the diagnosis and treatment of various diseases, including cardiovascular diseases and diabetes, especially as an effective predictor of future cardiovascular events in healthy individuals.
hsCRP can be used to assess the risk of cardiovascular diseases:
<1mg/L is low risk;
1-3mg/L is moderate risk;
>3mg/L is high risk.
How should one choose which type of CRP to test?
In short, for patients with a clear tendency for infection or autoimmune diseases, it is recommended to test for regular CRP; if a newborn is suspected of having an infectious disease, it is recommended to test for hs-CRP; if the goal is to assess the risk of cardiovascular events, it is recommended to test for hs-CRP.
Now, a new question arises~
Why not uniformly test hs-CRP?
CRP and hsCRP are like two sides of the same coin, each with its own advantages and disadvantages.
As mentioned earlier, CRP has significant value in the diagnosis and treatment of infectious and autoimmune diseases, but it is still unclear whether this conclusion applies to hsCRP. For example, if a person’s inflammatory response is very strong, testing hsCRP may exceed the linear range, thus affecting the accuracy of the test results. Additionally, the upper limits of hsCRP testing can vary significantly depending on the method, with most being within 60mg/L.
Therefore,
CRP and hsCRP cannot be treated the same way,
there is no best, only the most suitable.
Do you understand the differences between CRP and hsCRP?
Source: Laboratory Department Liu Tan Edited by: Publicity Department Fan Mengzhen 24-hour hotline: 0379-63892222 Email: [email protected] Please indicate the source when reprinting original content We welcome submissions or suggestions
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