title: Clinical and laboratory characteristics of patients with atherothrombotic risk factors presenting with low concentrations of highly sensitive C-reactive protein.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To clarify whether individuals with low concentrations of highly sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) are free of atherothrombotic risk factors or low-grade inflammation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  This cross-sectional study included 1266 individuals with risk factors (diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, smoking, obesity). Eighty percent of women and the same percentage of men with a low concentration (0.8 +/- 0.4 mg/l) of hs-CRP had at least one atherothrombotic risk factor. About one-fourth of the females and a one-third of the males with a low concentration of hs-CRP had at least one laboratory marker of chronic inflammation (erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), white blood cell count (WBCC) or fibrinogen concentration) in the upper 75th percentile.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Individuals presenting with low concentrations of hs-CRP are not necessarily free of atherothrombotic risk factors. One-fourth of the females and a third of the males in this group presented laboratory evidence of a low-grade inflammation as detected by increased erythrocyte sedimentation rate, white blood cell count or fibrinogen concentration.
authors.affiliation: Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Department of Internal Medicine "D", Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zeltser
authors.forename: Ori
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Rogowski
authors.forename: Tamar
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mardi
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Justo
authors.forename: Tatiana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tolshinsky
authors.forename: Yelena
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Goldin
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Burke
authors.forename: Varda
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Deutsch
authors.forename: Shlomo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Berliner
authors.forename: Itzhak
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Shapira
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000276:immunology; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D048909:Diabetes Complications; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications; D007249:Inflammation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications; D012016:Reference Values; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D002097:C-Reactive Protein