Possible low response of C-reactive protein production in eosinophilic pneumonia

C-reactive protein (CRP) in the patients with eosinophilic pneumonia was examined compared with that of bacterial pneumonia. While no difference between erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) in eosinophilic pneumonia (mean +/- SE: 74.5 +/- 10.6 mm/hr) and that in bacterial pneumonia (86.2 + 7.7 mm/hr) was observed, serum CRP level (3.87 +/- 1.24 mg/dL) and alpha 2-macroglobulin level (182.53 +/- 13.00 mg/dL) in eosinophilic pneumonia were lower in comparison with those in bacterial pneumonia (14.89 +/- 1.34 mg/dL, 315.65 +/- 11.54 mg/dL, respectively), suggesting that the pathogenesis of eosinophilic pneumonia might involve defective secretion of certain cytokine related to the production of acute-phase reactant proteins such as interleukin-6.