Final answer:
Negative acute-phase proteins, such as albumin and transferrin, decrease in response to inflammation and play a role in the immune system's opsonization process.
Step-by-step explanation:
Acute-phase proteins are a class of proteins whose plasma concentrations increase (positive acute-phase proteins) or decrease (negative acute-phase proteins) in response to inflammation. One example of a negative acute-phase protein is albumin, which typically decreases during the acute-phase response. Another example is transferrin, a protein that binds and transports iron in the blood; it also tends to diminish in this situation. These proteins are part of the immune response and play a role in the opsonization process, wherein pathogens are tagged for phagocytosis by binding of an antibody or antimicrobial protein.