Levels of C-reactive protein in patients with hematologic malignancies.

The levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) were assayed in 282 serial sera of 70 patients with hematologic malignancies who were under antineoplastic medication, and surveyed with frequent blood cultures. The mean peak value of CRP in febrile patients with bacteriologically verified sepsis was 162 mg/l and differed significantly (p less than 0.001) from that (23 mg/l) of afebrile patients with negative blood cultures, but not from that (115 mg/l) of febrile patients without confirmed bacteremia. All the values in afebrile patients with negative blood cultures were less than 100 mg/l; 71% of their peak values were less than 40 mg/l. Thus the malignancy itself or its treatment did not considerably mount CRP response.