Comparative Analysis of Serum C-reactive Protein Levels and Respiratory Diagnostic Test Results in Active Tuberculosis Patients and Latent Tuberculosis Infection Groups

Objectives: Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) bacteria.According to a World Health Organization report, a third of the world' s population has latent TB infection (LTBI), and 5%-10% of people with LTBI are at risk of developing active TB (ATB) in their lifetime.Therefore, it is important to quickly and accurately distinguish between ATB and LTBI.Methods: In the present study, serum C-reactive protein (CRP) levels from a total of 110 serum samples from 28 ATB patients, 29 LTBI, and 53 healthy individual groups were analyzed using a quantitative suspension bead array.The results were compared with those of acid-fast bacilli staining, mycobacterial cultures, MTB-polymerase chain reaction (PCR), chest X-ray (CXR), complete blood count, white blood cell (WBC) differential count, and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) examination. Results:The results showed that serum CRP levels in the ATB group were significantly higher than in the LTBI and healthy individual groups.Serum CRP levels in patients positive for mycobacterial culture, MTB-PCR, and CXR examinations were higher than in individuals who were negative for these examinations.In addition, total WBC, neutrophil, and lymphocyte counts, and ESR showed positive correlations with serum CRP levels. Conclusion:We evaluated the feasibility of serum CRP levels as a potential marker for TB diagnosis using blood samples, and these results could provide baseline data for comparing the expression patterns of the marker in whole blood of ATB, LTBI, and healthy groups of individuals.