Final answer:
C-Reactive Protein (CRP) is an inflammatory marker that rises in response to infections and other inflammation-related diseases. CRP levels are influenced by nutritional, metabolic factors, and various disease entities. CRP is measured along with prealbumin to assess inflammation that may affect nutritional status markers.
Step-by-step explanation:
C-Reactive Protein (CRP) is an acute-phase protein that increases in the plasma during inflammatory processes or infections. It's an important biomarker for inflammation and is used to assess the risk of various diseases, including cardiovascular diseases and infections. The level of CRP increases due to the release of cytokines such as interleukin-6 (IL-6) from macrophages and T-cells. Conditions associated with elevated CRP levels include febrile diseases, bacterial infections such as C. difficile, and inflammatory disorders. Several nutritional and metabolic factors can affect CRP levels.
High levels of fat and sugar intake, obesity, and metabolic syndrome are associated with increased CRP concentrations. Moreover, diseases like kidney failure, liver disorders, and diabetes can contribute to changes in CRP levels. Prealbumin is a marker of nutritional status and can change rapidly due to its short half-life. However, assessing CRP in addition to prealbumin is useful for understanding the presence of an acute-phase reaction which might be influencing the nutritional markers, as CRP provides information on inflammation that may not be evident from prealbumin levels alone.