I. F. Rowe

Measurement of serum C reactive protein concentration after bone marrow transplantation for leukaemia.

C reactive protein concentration was measured serially in 19 patients with leukaemia after bone marrow transplantation. Six episodes of graft versus host disease occurred in the presence of fever but with no evidence of infection, and these were associated with C reactive protein concentrations as high as 200 mg/l. C reactive protein values were also increased in 12 febrile episodes associated with infection, in seven of which graft versus host disease was also present. C reactive protein concentrations are of no value in differentiating infection from graft versus host disease, but in both cases they may be useful as an objective index of response to appropriate treatment.

Continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion does not induce a significant acute phase response of serum amyloid A protein

SummaryIn a study of 23 matched pairs of Type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetic patients receiving continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion or conventional insulin injection therapy respectively, there were no significant differences in serum levels of the acute phase proteins, serum amyloid A and C-reactive protein. These results do not support the suggestion that continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion stimulates serum amyloid A production or that it carries a risk of inducing reactive systemic amyloidosis.