Abstract
C-reactive protein (CRP) was measured serially in 29 patients with acute leukaemia. Sixty-four febrile episodes (≥38°C) occurred during 37 periods of neutropenia (<0.5 × 109/l). In all of 41 microbiologically or clinically documented infections the maximum CRP level exceeded 30 mg/l, and in 25 it was greater than 100 mg/l. In no case in which the CRP level remained below 30 mg/l for 48 hr after the onset of fever was any clinical or microbiological evidence of infection obtained. The CRP level during documented infection began to fall 24-48 hr after appropriate treatment was begun. A CRP level above 30 mg/l in neutropenic patients was associated with early recurrence of fever if systemic antibiotics were discontinued. Graft-vs-host disease, without infection, did not result in high levels of CRP.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 319-325 |
Number of pages | 7 |
Journal | European Journal of Cancer and Clinical Oncology |
Volume | 20 |
Issue number | 3 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Mar 1984 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:Accepted 25 August 1983. *Grant support: Medical Research Council Programme Grant G979/51 to MBP; Leukaemia Research Fund support for JPD. IPresent address: Department of Medicine, Guy’s Hospital, London Bridge, London SE1 9RT, U.K. llTo whom requests for reprints should be addressed.
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Oncology