Abstract :
Introduction: Asthma is usually characterized by chronic airway inflammation along with respiratory
manifestations like, shortness of breath, wheezing, chest tightness and variable expiratory airflow
limitation. Studies have indicated increased levels of systemic markers high sensitivity C-reactive protein
in patients with bronchial asthma.
Aim: Assessment of the levels of high sensitivity C-reactive protein in asthmatic patients.
Materials and Methods: It is a comparative-descriptive and observational study, done during the study
period April 2014 – June 2015, and the number of asthmatic patients was 80 and 24 healthy controls.
Results: High sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) levels increased in asthmatic patients irrespective of
the use of Inhaled corticosteroids. The mean high sensitivity C-reactive protein level of group A (steroid
na¨?ve) is 3.9085 which is higher than that of group B (steroid using patients) 2.7575 and healthy controls
0.5138. Although using Inhaled corticosteroids lead to decrease in hsCRP levels, the difference between
the means of hsCRP among the two groups A and B was not statistically significant (p=0.093). But when
hsCRP levels of group A and group B are compared with the controls, there was high statistical significance
(p=0.001). In Pulmonary function test results, the relationship between hsCRP and FEV1 (forced expiratory
volume) showed a negative correlation of hs CRP with FEV1%, and it had even more significant negative
correlation in patients who are steroid na¨?ve than patients using steroids.
Conclusion: Diminished pulmonary function is related with raise serum hsCRP level more in steroid naive
patients. Serum hsCRP can be used as one of the indirect parameters for the assessment of degree of severity
in the airways manifestation.
Keyword :
Bronchial asthma, High sensitivity C-reactive protein, Pulmonary function test, Steroid na¨?ve.