Elevated Preoperative C-reactive Protein Levels Research Articles

Preoperative Atrial Fibrillation and Elevated C-Reactive Protein Levels as Predictors of Mediastinitis After Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting

Mediastinitis is a serious complication after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). We studied the risk factors for the development of postoperative mediastinitis in a large group of patients who underwent isolated CABG at Catharina Hospital, Eindhoven, The Netherlands. Data of all patients undergoing an isolated CABG between January 1998 and December 2008 were analyzed. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to investigate the effect of biomedical variables on the development of mediastinitis. Multivariate analyses were used to test for the confounding effect of various risk factors on outcomes. Mediastinitis was present in 100 out of the 11,748 patients. Preoperative atrial fibrillation [odds ratio = 4.26 (2.26 to 8.02)] and an elevated preoperative C-reactive protein level [odds ratio = 1.013 (1.007 to 1.020)] were important independent predictors of the development of mediastinitis. Other significant risk factors were the following: age, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes, morbid obesity, use of extracorporeal circulation, use of bilateral internal mammary arteries, reexploration for ischemia, and perioperative myocardial infarction. Apart from previously described risk factors for the development of postoperative mediastinitis, we found preoperative atrial fibrillation and an elevated C-reactive protein level to be significant predictors of mediastinitis in patients undergoing CABG.

Preoperative blood sugar and C‐reactive protein associated with persistent discharge after incision and drainage for patients with deep neck abscesses

The aim of this study was to investigate whether preoperative C-reactive protein (CRP) and blood sugar correlated with persistent discharge after incision and drainage for patients with deep neck abscesses. Retrospective data analysis. Tertiary referral centre. A total of 204 patients who underwent operation for deep neck abscess. Persistent discharge after operation. One hundred seventy patients were included for final analyses. Most of the patients were male (n = 115; 68%) and the average age was 54 years. Using logistic regression analyses, age >55 years [odds ratio (OR): 3.053; P = 0.002], preoperative CRP >15 mg/dL (OR: 2.174; P = 0.027), and preoperative blood sugar >8.3 mmol/L (OR: 3.280; P = 0.001) were independent factors correlated with persistent discharge. Older age, elevated preoperative CRP level and blood sugar had a statistically significant association with persistent discharge after operation in deep neck abscesses patients.

Preoperative elevation of serum C-reactive protein as an independent prognostic indicator of colorectal carcinoma

The preoperative elevation of serum C-reactive protein (CRP) is thought to be a prognosticator of carcinomas of the digestive tract. We conducted this study to investigate the clinical importance of the preoperative elevation of serum CRP in patients with colorectal carcinoma (CRC). We investigated the correlation between an elevated preoperative serum CRP level and the clinicopathologic factors, including prognosis, of 116 patients who underwent resection of CRC. Forty-seven (40.5%) patients had an elevated serum CRP value preoperatively (group H) and 69 (59.5%) did not (group L). There were significant differences in the tumor size, proportion of poorly differentiated tumors, depth of invasion, lymph node metastasis, lymphatic invasion, and tumor stage between the two groups. Survival was significantly lower in group H than in group L (P < 0.0001). Multivariate analysis showed that the preoperative elevation of serum CRP (P = 0.0007), as well as poor differentiation (P = 0.027) and advanced tumor stage (P = 0.007) were independent prognostic factors in patients with CRC. We found the preoperative elevation of serum CRP to be an independent prognostic indicator of CRC.

The impact of preoperative serum C‐reactive protein on the prognosis of patients with upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma treated surgically

To assess the impact of preoperative C-reactive protein (CRP) levels on the prognosis in patients with upper urinary tract (UUT) urothelial carcinoma (UC) primarily treated surgically, as it is increasingly recognized that a systemic inflammatory response is associated with the prognosis for patients with various malignancies. The clinical records of 130 patients treated surgically for UUT-UC were reviewed retrospectively. An elevated CRP was defined as >0.5 mg/dL. Actuarial survival curves were calculated by Kaplan-Meier method, with the difference between curves evaluated using the log-rank test. A multivariate analysis was used to identify prognostic factors, with Cox's proportional hazard model. The median (range) follow-up was 47 (3-190) months. The preoperative serum CRP level was elevated in 24 patients (23%). There were significant associations between CRP level and haemoglobin concentrations, pathological T stage, tumour grade, lymph node involvement and lymphovascular invasion. The 5-year disease-specific and recurrence-free survival rates of 24 patients with elevated CRP were significantly worse than those of the 106 with no CRP elevation (both P < 0.001). On multivariate analysis, preoperative CRP level, pathological T stage and lymph node involvement were significant prognostic factors for disease-specific and recurrence-free survival. This study indicated that an elevated preoperative CRP level predicts a poor survival in patients with UUT-UC.

CRP, IL-6 and endothelin-1 levels in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting. Do preoperative inflammatory parameters predict early graft occlusion and late cardiovascular events?

Background Inflammation is a major contributor to atherosclerotic vascular disease. Inflammatory parameters such as C-reactive protein (CRP) and Interleukin-6 (IL-6) have been shown to be strong predictors of cardiovascular events. The association between preoperative inflammatory parameters and early graft occlusion as well as cardiovascular events after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) has not, however, been fully elucidated. The aims of the present study were to prospectively investigate the prognostic value of the inflammatory parameters IL-6, CRP, and endothelin (ET-1) to predict early graft occlusion as well as late cardiovascular events after CABG. Methods In the present study 99 patients undergoing CABG because of stable angina pectoris due to significant coronary artery disease were prospectively included. Coronary angiography was repeated 3 months after CABG in 81 patients in order to evaluate early graft occlusion. Blood samples were collected before CABG in all patients. Patients were followed up for a median of 5 (3–7) years after CABG. Results Twenty-five patients (31%) had one or more occluded grafts at the 3-month control coronary angiography. The patients with occluded grafts had higher preoperative CRP and IL-6 levels in plasma [CRP 2.22 (1.11–4.47) mg/L vs. 1.23 (0.71–2.27) mg/L P = 0.03] and [IL-6 2.88 (1.91–5.94) pg/mL vs. 2.15 (1.54–3.14) pg/mL P = 0.006]. There were 23 late cardiovascular events among the 99 patients during the follow-up. Patients experiencing late cardiovascular events had higher preoperative IL-6 levels than those without late cardiovascular events [4.13 (1.83–5.87) pg/mL vs. 2.08 (1.53–2.29) pg/mL, P = 0.002] whereas CRP levels did not differ significantly between the two groups [1.5 (0.79–4.41) mg/L vs. 1.33 (0.74–2.48) mg/L, P = 0.41]. Looking at IL-6, a cut off value more than 3.8 pg/ml was associated with a significant higher risk for an early graft occlusion ( P = 0.04) and late cardiovascular events ( P = 0.00003). Preoperative endothelin-1 did not predict early graft occlusions or late cardiovascular events. Conclusions Raised preoperative IL-6 levels are predictors of both early graft occlusion and late cardiovascular events after CABG. Elevated preoperative CRP levels can predict early graft occlusion after CABG. Endothelin did not differ between the two groups.

Significance of preoperative C-reactive protein as a parameter of the perioperative course and long-term prognosis in squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma of the oesophagus

C-reactive protein (CRP) is an acute-phase reactant and a known indicator of the malignant potential of the tumour. The aim of this study was to investigate the significance of preoperative CRP as a parameter of the perioperative course and long-term prognosis in patients with squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma of the oesophagus. Serum CRP was determined preoperatively in 291 of 371 patients undergoing oesophagectomy for cancer from December 1989 to March 2004. Median patient age was 59 (28-79) year, 82.5% of patients were males. Squamous cell carcinoma was diagnosed in 151 (51.9%) and adenocarcinoma in 122 patients. Transhiatal oesophagectomy was done in 151 (51.9%) patients and 134 (46.0%) patients underwent the abdominothoracic procedure. In 127 (43.6%) patients the preoperative serum CRP concentration was within the normal range (< 5 mg/dL), elevated CRP levels were measured in 164 (56.4%) patients. Tumour extension (P < 0.0005) and the number of lymph nodes affected by metastatic spread (P = 0.015) were significantly increased in the group with elevated CRP levels. Among the perioperative parameters both the number of blood transfusions (P = 0.006) and the general complication rate (P = 0.002) were higher in patients with elevated preoperative CRP levels. The long-term survival rate of 13.6 (0-109.8) mo was poorer in the group with elevated CRP levels compared to 18.9 (0-155.4) mo in the group with normal CRP levels (log-rank test: P = 0.107). Multivariate analysis with backward variables selection identified preoperative CRP as an independent prognostic factor of the long-term prognosis in patients with oesophageal carcinoma, with a hazard ratio of 1.182 (95% confidence interval: 1.030-1.356). The preoperative serum CRP-level is an easily determined independent prognostic marker in patients with squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma of the oesophagus.

Significance of Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate and C-reactive Protein as Predictive Factors for Prognosis in Non-metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma

Purpose: This study was performed to investigate the significance of preoperative erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein (CRP) and postoperative ESR and CRP nadir as predictive factors for prognosis in patients with non-metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Materials and Methods: In 66 patients with non-metastatic RCC for whom ESR and CRP could be measured before radical nephrectomy and during follow-up, the preoperative ESR, preoperative CRP, postoperative ESR nadir and postoperative CRP nadir were compared with the clinicopathological variables. Results: Patients with elevated preoperative ESR or CRP levels were more likely to have tumors with adverse features, including larger tumor size, higher T stage, higher nuclear grade and more frequent metastasis at follow-up, as compared to those patients with lower preoperative ESR or CRP levels, respectively. Patients with an elevated postoperative CRP nadir developed metastasis more frequently at follow-up as compared to those patients with a lower level of postoperative CRP nadir. The univariate analyses identified tumor size, T stage, preoperative ESR, preoperative CRP and postoperative CRP nadir as significant prognostic factors for recurrence-free survival. Conclusions: Elevated preoperative ESR, preoperative CRP and postoperative CRP nadir are associated with a worse prognosis and a higher recurrence rate in patients with non-metastatic RCC, suggesting that ESR and CRP are valuable prognostic indicators in RCC. (Korean J Urol 2006; 47:1059-1064) ꠏꠏꠏꠏꠏꠏꠏꠏꠏꠏꠏꠏꠏꠏꠏꠏꠏꠏꠏꠏ

Clinical implications of serum C-reactive protein levels in malignant fibrous histiocytoma.

Paraneoplastic syndromes (PNSs) associated with mesenchymal tumors are uncommon. Previous reports sporadically described inflammatory PNSs with elevated serum C-reactive protein (CRP) levels and leukocytosis in patients with inflammatory malignant fibrous histiocytoma (MFH) of soft tissue; however, the relationship between other subtypes of MFH and PNS has not been extensively investigated. Forty-six patients with primary MFH of soft tissues who underwent radical surgery were retrospectively analyzed. These patients were divided into 2 groups according to preoperative serum CRP level: normal (<1.0 mg/dl) and elevated (> or = 1.0 mg/dl). The correlation between serum CRP level and several clinicopathologic factors was analyzed. Correlation between preoperative serum CRP level and metastasis-free and overall survival was also investigated by univariate and multivariate analyses. Elevated preoperative serum CRP levels were found in 65% of patients with a mean of 3.7 mg/dl. There were statistically significant relationships regarding tumor size, depth, histologic subtypes, grade, stage and metastatic rate among normal and elevated CRP groups (p < 0.001, p < 0.02, p < 0.005, p < 0.001, p < 0.001 and p < 0.05, respectively). When the tumor was removed, the elevated CRP level subsided into the normal range and other abnormal laboratory findings diminished in all cases. In 11/14 relapsed cases that showed elevated CRP preoperatively, the serum CRP level re-elevated with tumor relapse. The normal CRP group showed significantly more favorable prognosis than the elevated CRP group in metastasis-free and overall survival on univariate analysis (p < 0.02, p < 0.05, respectively). Patients with MFH frequently present with an inflammatory PNS, such as elevated serum CRP level, which can be a useful marker of disease activity and a valuable prognostic indicator.