Rheumatoid arthritis |
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CRP and ESR are both widely used in the management of rheumatoid arthritis. ESR is strongly
correlated with certain laboratory values that do not reflect the degree of inflammation but
are known to influence ESR directly, including immunoglobulins, rheumatoid factor (RF) and haemoglobin.
CRP, on the other hand, is more strongly correlated with composite disease activity, grip strength and
joint count. This suggests that the acute-phase is better measured with CRP. Immunoglobulins do not
generally reflect the acute phase to any significant degree, and RF is, similarly, not an acute-phase marker.
These latter factors and ESR can be considered as markers of disease severity and chronicity. CRP appears to
be the test of choice where measurement of the acute phase is concerned.
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