Sources of inflammation may include:
(1) infection
(2) autoimmune disorder
(3) tumor necrosis
(4) burn injury
(5) trauma or surgery
Proteins which may increase in response to inflammation:
(1) alpha-1 antichymotrypsin
(2) a1pha-1 antitrypsin
(3) alpha-1 acid glycoprotein
(4) C-reactive protein (CRP)
(5) ceruloplasmin
(6) complement
(7) factor VIII
(8) ferritin
(9) fibrinogen
(10) haptoglobin
(11) lipoproteins
(12) plasminogen
(13) plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1)
(14) polyclonal immunoglobulins (as gamma globulins)
(15) serum amyloid A protein
(16) von Willebrand factor (vWF)
An acute phase reactant such as CRP can be used:
(1) to identify the presence of inflammation
(2) to monitor disease severity
Acute phase reactants that may be problematic for diagnosis, when a mild deficiency is increased into the normal range:
(1) ferritin (for iron deficiency anemia)
(2) ceruloplasmin (for Wilson's disease)
(3) von Willebrand factor (for mild von Willebrand's disease)
(4) fibrinogen (for DIC)
(5) alpha-1 antitrypsin (for A1AT deficiency)
