title: [Relation between acute phase proteins and body defense: application to the monitoring of infectious states].
abstract: All acute and/or chronic pathological processes resulting in tissue damage and destruction lead to an inflammatory response. The purpose of this response is homeostatic and is made up of local and systemic events, the signs of which, taken as a whole, constitute the acute phase syndrome. Among the metabolic changes occurring in this syndrome, the rise in the plasma concentration of a group of heterogenous proteins known as the "Acute Phase Reactant Proteins" ( APRP ) is a very reliable and sensitive indicator of the presence of pathology. Most of these proteins are involved in the mechanisms initiating and controlling the inflammatory response. Some of them seem to establish a link between the body's specific and non-specific defence mechanisms. APRP are indicators of the inflammatory response without being specific to a particular etiology. The degree of variation in APRP levels is not generally speaking a good indicator of the severity or spread of the tissue lesions. On the other hand, they are very useful for detecting and monitoring infectious and/or inflammatory states, whether these are being treated or not. Thus during anti-infectious or anti-inflammatory treatment the return of APRP levels to their physiological baseline is a very good argument in favour of the efficacy of such treatment.
mesh_terms: D000209:Acute-Phase Proteins; D000818:Animals; D001798:Blood Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000502:physiology*; D002570:Ceruloplasmin / Q000502:physiology; D002918:Chymotrypsin / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000502:physiology; D003176:Complement C3 / Q000502:physiology; D006242:Haptoglobins / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007108:Immune Tolerance; D007239:Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D007249:Inflammation / Q000503:physiopathology; D009961:Orosomucoid / Q000502:physiology; D000685:Serum Amyloid A Protein / Q000502:physiology; D000514:alpha 1-Antichymotrypsin; D000515:alpha 1-Antitrypsin / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D000209:Acute-Phase Proteins; D001798:Blood Proteins; D003176:Complement C3; D006242:Haptoglobins; D009961:Orosomucoid; D000685:Serum Amyloid A Protein; D000514:alpha 1-Antichymotrypsin; D000515:alpha 1-Antitrypsin; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D002570:Ceruloplasmin; D002918:Chymotrypsin
vernacular_title: Relations entre protéines de la phase aiguë et défenses de l'organisme: application à la surveillance des états infectieux.