Statins and the Acute-Phase Response

C-reactive protein is the classic acute-phase reactant. During severe infection or inflammation, blood concentrations of C-reactive protein may increase by a factor of 500 or more. Although most other acute-phase reactants are not as dynamic or as easily measured, they and C-reactive protein may make important contributions to the body's responses to injury, infection, and other sources of stress.Many acute-phase proteins are thought to be antiinfective. C-reactive protein binds to phosphocholine on the surfaces of invading microbes and marks them for killing by complement and phagocytes, whereas secretory phospholipase A2 is a potent antistaphylococcal and antistreptococcal enzyme. Acute-phase . . .