Acute Phase Biomarkers

Proteins belonging to the acute-phase protein (APP) family include C-reactive protein (CRP), haptoglobin, alpha-1-acid glycoprotein, hemopexin, macroglobulin, thiostatin, and others. Serum levels of APPs change in response to tissue injury, inflammation, and infection. APPs are identified as either positive or negative depending on whether levels increase or decrease, and they have proved to be useful biomarkers. CRP is a positive acute phase reactant in most species, but the degree by which it increases varies significantly. In humans, monkeys, and rats it can increase by ~1000-fold, ~50-fold and 50% respectively. CRP is therefore an excellent acute phase biomarker in humans and monkeys but a poor biomarker in rats. In contrast, alpha-2-macroglobulin increases by as much as 1000-fold in rats but does not increase at all in man. Negative acute phase reactants include albumin, transferrin, and retinol binding protein, which decrease by at most 50% during the acute phase response. Rat murinoglobulin is an exception because its levels can decrease by as much as 8-fold.

We manufacture a range of ELISA kits for detection of APPs in species of relevance to preclinical research (mouse, rat, rabbit, dog, pig, chicken, turkey, and monkey). Please contact us if you would like advice regarding biomarker selection in a particular species. In addition to ELISA kits we also manufacture purified acute phase proteins and antibodies.