C-reactive protein (CRP) is an acute-phase serum protein. It is a member of the pentraxin family, produced mostly by cells in the liver in response to a variety of inflammatory cytokines. The levels of CRP in the blood are closely associated with the degree of inflammatory responses. CRP levels rise rapidly in response to threats such as trauma, inflammation, and infection and fall rapidly in response to remission. Thus, CRP levels are considered as non-specific markers of inflammation, and measurement of CRP levels has important clinical significance for the diagnosis of some inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and vasculitis.

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