Q: 74-year-old male is admitted to ICU with headache and high fever. Patient gets diagnosed with Giant Cell Arteritis (GCA). Which of the following is more reliable to follow on the progress of GCA? (select one)
A) Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR)
B) C-reactive protein (CRP)
Answer: B
Although ESR and CRP are not the perfect biomarkers of GCA, but CRP is more reliable. The C-reactive protein (CRP) is an hepatically synthesized acute phase reactant and is a sensitive marker of systemic inflammation. Practically, CRP is used in conjunction with the ESR but for academic sake CRP is a better marker.
#Rheumatology
Reference:
Kermani TA, Schmidt J, Crowson CS, et al. Utility of erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein for the diagnosis of giant cell arteritis. Semin Arthritis Rheum. 2012;41(6):866–871.
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