TY - JOUR T1 - High sensitivity C-reactive protein in asthma JF - European Respiratory Journal JO - Eur Respir J SP - 908 LP - 912 DO - 10.1183/09031936.06.00114405 VL - 27 IS - 5 AU - M. Takemura AU - H. Matsumoto AU - A. Niimi AU - T. Ueda AU - H. Matsuoka AU - M. Yamaguchi AU - M. Jinnai AU - S. Muro AU - T. Hirai AU - Y. Ito AU - T. Nakamura AU - T. Mio AU - K. Chin AU - M. Mishima Y1 - 2006/05/01 UR - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/27/5/908.abstract N2 - Asthma is characterised by chronic inflammation of the airways, but the relevance of high-sensitivity assays for C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), which are known to be a sensitive marker of low-grade systemic inflammation, has not been fully studied in asthma. The objective was to examine serum hs-CRP levels in patients with asthma and their relationship to clinical characteristics and degree of airway inflammation. Serum hs-CRP levels were cross-sectionally examined in steroid-naive (n = 22) and steroid-inhaling (n = 23) adult patients with asthma and healthy controls (n = 14). All were nonsmokers. Serum hs-CRP levels were significantly increased in steroid-naive patients (mean±sd 1.33±1.48 mg·L−1) compared with controls (0.21±0.30 mg·L−1), but not in patients on inhaled corticosteroid. Among steroid-naive patients, serum hs-CRP levels significantly negatively correlated with indices of pulmonary function (forced expiratory volume in one second/forced vital capacity and forced mid-expiratory flow) and positively with sputum eosinophil count. Among patients on inhaled corticosteroid, hs-CRP levels did not correlate with any indices. In conclusion, an increase in serum C-reactive protein levels measured by high-sensitivity assays may be associated with airflow obstruction and airway inflammation, and may serve as a surrogate marker of airway inflammation in asthma. ER -