Research Journal of Medical Sciences
ISSN: Online 1993-6095ISSN: Print 1815-9346
Abstract
Pulmonary tuberculosis, caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, triggers an inflammatory response in the body, leading to the production of C‐reactive proteins (CRP) by the liver. However, there is limited information in medical literature regarding the correlation between serum CRP levels and the severity of pulmonary tuberculosis. This study aims to assess the validity of serum CRP levels in relation to clinical manifestations, mortality, radiological severity and response to anti‐tubercular therapy in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis. This study involved 89 newly diagnosed sputum‐positive pulmonary tuberculosis patients and 67 healthy individuals for comparison. Patients underwent evaluation for clinical and radiological findings, which were then correlated with baseline CRP levels. CRP levels were measured at 2 months and after completion of treatment and their correlation with treatment outcomes was analysed. The mean baseline CRP levels in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis were significantly higher than that of healthy individuals. Patients with pulmonary tuberculosis who exhibited more symptoms and the need for ventilatory support had significantly higher CRP levels compared to those without these symptoms. There was a significant correlation between CRP levels and the extent of radiological disease. Baseline CRP levels were notably higher in patients who did not survive and it showed a progressive decline in successfully treated patients. Serum CRP levels before initiating anti‐tubercular therapy demonstrated a positive correlation with various clinical features and radiological severity in pulmonary tuberculosis patients. Additionally, higher CRP levels were associated with increased mortality. Therefore, serum CRP levels could serve as a valuable surrogate marker for assessing the severity of pulmonary tuberculosis.
How to cite this article:
Shashank Tyagi, Garima Pardhi, Prachi Kori and Saurabh Jain. Assessment of Serum CRP in Predicting Disease Activity in Pulmonary Tuberculosis.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.36478/10.59218/makrjms.2024.4.176.179
URL: https://www.makhillpublications.co/view-article/1815-9346/10.59218/makrjms.2024.4.176.179