[Value of C-reactive protein in the evaluation of activity in ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease]

We studied a value of measuring the C-reactive protein (CRP) serum concentration in the assessment of ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease activity. From a large register of patients with the inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), we have chosen randomly 91 patients: 61 with ulcerative colitis and 30 with Crohn's disease. As a reference point in the assessment of ulcerative colitis we have used the Powell-Tuck clinical index. Nineteen patients had an active disease, and 42 were in a remission. Patients with the active disease had significantly higher levels of the CRP then the patients in remission (chi 2 = 4.99; alpha less than 0.05). Serum CRP levels and the disease activity assessment by Powell-Tuck index were in a positive correlation, according to the Fisher's exact test (p less than 10(-8)). In the group of 30 patients with Crohn's disease, the disease activity was assessed by CDAI ("The Crohn's Disease Activity Index") and by van Hees index. According to CDAI, 26 patients were in a remission, and only 4 had an active disease. According to van Hees index, there was no patient in a complete remission, 17 patients had a partial remission and 13 had an active disease. Patients with the active disease had significantly higher CRP levels then the patients in remission, according to van Hees index (chi 2 = 7.863; alpha less than 0.01), but not according to CDAI (not significant). Meanwhile, the Fisher's exact test suggested a high positive correlation between the disease activity assessment with both indexes, either CDAI or van Hees, and the CRP serum values (alpha less than 0.01).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)