Serum levels of C‐reactive protein in Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis

Abstract

Prospective measurements were made of serum C-reactive protein levels and erythrocyte sedimentation rate in 64 patients with Crohn''s disease and 50 with ulcerative colitis. The results were related to clinical assessment of disease activity. C-reactive protein levels were raised in both groups but were significantly higher in Crohn''s disease than ulcerative colitis for all categories of disease severity; with mild disease the median and range of C-reactive protein concentration were 4, 0-65 mg/l in Crohn''s disease vs. 0, 0-15 mg/l in ulcerative colitis, P < 0.01; in moderate disease the values were 15, 1-100 mg/l vs. 3, 0-29 mg/l respectively, P < 0.05 and in cases of severe disease, 85, 15-183 mg/l vs. 12, 2-33 mg/l respectively, P < 0.001. Erythrocyte sedimentation rate was also higher in Crohn''s disease but did not closely reflect disease activity in individual patients. C-reactive protein levels corresponded closely with clinical and pathological indices of relapse, remission and response to therapy in patients with Crohn''s disease. The precise assay of serum C-reactive protein provides an objective criterion of inflammatory activity, which may be useful in the assessment, management and study of Crohn''s disease.