C-reactive protein and clinical kidney transplantation

50 patients were serially monitored for C-reactive protein (CRP) in serum after kidney transplantation. Compared with a control group the post-operative peak at days 1 and 3 was strongly depressed in the immunosuppressive-treated transplant group (p less than 0.01). In 29 out of 30 patients CRP concentration showed an average rise from 9.4 to 30.0 micrograms/ml between the 5th and 2nd day before onset of the rejection episodes (p less than 0.01). The dynamics of CRP concentration before, during and after prednisolone anti-rejection bolus therapy was considered in 22 cases. The first bolus led to a greater or smaller decrease in CRP concentration in almost all patients. After the second bolus treatment CRP dropped to zero already in more than half of the patients with reversible rejection episodes (p less than 0.01). In case of irreversible rejection crises CRP never reached zero.