title: [Comparative usefulness of erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein in assessing the severity of ulcerative colitis].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Although erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) is included as a laboratory parameter in Truelove and Witts' classification, C-reactive protein (CRP) is also used for severity assessment in ulcerative colitis (UC). Frequently, the discordance between ESR and CRP is observed in clinical practice. The aim of this study was to determine which parameter is more related with clinical activity in UC patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 155 patients with UC were identified from January 2004 to March 2005. Their medical records were reviewed within these patients, a total of 541 assessments of disease activity were made. Correlation of clinical activity and laboratory tests were evaluated by Pearson's correlation coefficient.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Pearson's correlation coefficients of ESR and CRP with clinical symptoms were 0.376 and 0.258, respectively. The correlation coefficient between ESR and CRP was 0.403 (p=0.000). A total of 131 (24.2%) assessments revealed discordance between ESR and CRP. When discordance occurred, the correlation coefficients with clinical symptoms were 0.338 for ESR (p=0.000) and 0.034 for CRP (p>0.01). Dividing discordant patients into high ESR/low CRP group and low ESR/high CRP group, the coefficients were 0.420 for ESR and 0.226 for CRP in high ESR/low CRP group, and 0.333 for ESR and 0.068 for CRP in low ESR/high CRP group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The correlation analysis indicates that ESR appears to be a more reliable laboratory parameter of disease activity than CRP in assessing the severity of UC. In particular, when the level of ESR and CRP is discordant, ESR is more useful in assessing the disease activity in UC patients.
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Gangnam-Gu, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Jung Su
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Ha
authors.forename: June Sang
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Hoi Jin
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Tae Gun
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Moon
authors.forename: Dong Kyung
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Jun Haeng
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Young Ho
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Poong Lyul
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Rhee
authors.forename: Jae J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jong Chul
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Rhee
mesh_terms: D001799:Blood Sedimentation; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis*; D003093:Colitis, Ulcerative / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: D002097:C-Reactive Protein