title: Immunoradiometric assay of circulating C-reactive protein: age-related values in the adult general population.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  : Increased values of C-reactive protein (CRP), the classical acute phase protein, within the range below 5 mg/L, previously considered to be within the reference interval, are strongly associated with increased risk of atherothrombotic events, and are clinically significant in osteoarthritis and neonatal infection.
  
  
  METHODS
  : A robust new polyclonal-monoclonal solid- phase IRMA for CRP was developed, with a range of 0.05-10.0 mg/L.
  
  
  RESULTS
  : Plasma CRP values in general adult populations from Augsburg, Germany (2291 males and 2203 females; ages, 25-74 years) and Glasgow, Scotland (604 males and 650 females; ages, 25-64 years) were very similar. The median CRP approximately doubled with age, from approximately 1 mg/L in the youngest decade to approximately 2 mg/L in the oldest, and tended to be higher in females.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  : This extensive data set, the largest such study of CRP, provides valuable reference information for future clinical and epidemiological investigations.
authors.affiliation: Immunological Medicine Unit, Division of Medicine, Imperial College School of Medicine, Hammersmith Hospital, London W12 0NN, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: W L
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Hutchinson
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Koenig
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fröhlich
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sund
authors.forename: G D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Lowe
authors.forename: M B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Pepys
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001775:Blood Circulation; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015592:Immunoradiometric Assay; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012016:Reference Values; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D002097:C-Reactive Protein