Agglutination of intravenous lipid emulsion ('Intralipid') and plasma lipoproteins by C-reactive protein.

Isolated human C-reactive protein (CRP), or CRP in acute phase serum, produced in-vitro agglutination ('creaming') of the intravenously administered lipid suspension 'Intralipid'. CRP also produced similar agglutination of isolated normal very low density lipoproteins (VLDL). Agglutination in both cases was calcium-dependent and inhibitable by phosphoryl choline. These findings have important implications for patients receiving intravenous lipid suspensions and may be relevant to the pathogenesis of the fat embolism syndrome following trauma.