Diagnostic implications of C-reactive protein.

An elevated level of C-reactive protein (CRP), an acute phase protein, is one of many downstream indicators of inflammation. Physiologically, CRP enhances cell-mediated immunity by promoting phagocytosis, accelerating chemotaxis, and activating platelets. The purposes of this article are (1) to review the clinical data implicating serum CRP level as a systemic marker of focal inflammation and (2) to explore serum CRP level as a reflection of the inflammatory component of atherogenesis.

Relative contribution of the TNF-alpha receptors to murine intimal hyperplasia.

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) is an important mediator in the inflammatory response to vascular injury. The present study sought to determine the relative contribution of each TNF-alpha receptor subtype (p55 and p75) to intimal hyperplasia (IH) and characterize the mechanisms of transcriptional regulation after vascular injury. A murine model of wire carotid arterial injury was employed to induce IH in wild-type (WT), p55-deficient (p55-/-), and p75-deficient (p75-/-) mice.