Pakistan Journal of Medical Sciences

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ISSN 1681-715X

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Volume 25

October - December 2009 (Part-I)

Number  5


 

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C-reactive protein, Rheumatoid factor and circulatory
immune complex as markers for monitoring
treatment of infective endocarditis

Seyed Mohammad Alavi1, Fatemeh Ahmadi2, Rouhangiz Nashibi3

ABSTRACT

Objectives: To evaluate the diagnostic usefulness of serum C-reactive protein (CRP), rheumatoid factor (RF) and circulatory immune complex (CIC) determinations in monitoring the outcome of infective endocarditis (IE).

Methodology: In this prospective analytic descriptive study CRP, RF and CIC were measured on admission and 4 weeks after initiation of standard antibiotic regimen in 30 hospitalized patients with IE in an educational hospital between 2006 and 2007 in Ahvaz a city south west Iran . Duke criteria were used for diagnosis of IE. CRP and RF were examined using quantitative neflometry (Binding site kit, UK) and CIC was detected by semi quantitative immune diffusion (Baharafshan SIRD kit, Iran). Data were evaluated using statistical analyses in SPSS (version 12, USA) software for windows.

Results: The fall in serum C-reactive protein or RF was significant (P=<0.05) when a patient had a full recovery, but no such behavior was observed in CIC (P>0.05). Only two of the 30 patients, who had elevated CRP, RF and CIC week four failed to response and one needed cardiac surgery.

Conclusions: The C-reactive protein proved to be a good tool for monitoring the treatment of IE. Also RF proved useful in the assessment of patients with IE, but the value of CIC was negligible.

KEYWORDS: C-reactive protein, Rheumatoid factor, Circulatory immune complex, Infective endocarditis.

Pak J Med Sci    October - December 2009 (Part-I)    Vol. 25 No. 5    825-828

How to cite this article:

Alavi SM, Ahmadi F, Nashibi R. C-reactive protein, Rheumatoid factor and circulatory immune complex as markers for monitoring treatment of infective endocarditis. Pak J Med Sci 2009;25(5):825-828.


1. Dr Seyed Mohammad Alavi, MD,
Associated Professor of Medical College
2. Dr Fatemeh Ahmadi, MD
3. Dr Rouhangiz Nashibi, MD
1-3: Infectious disease ward, Razi Hospital,
Joundishapour University of Medical Sciences,
Ahvaz, Iran,
Joundishapour Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Research Center,
Ahvaz, Iran.

Correspondence

Dr Seyed Mohammad Alavi
No: 52, West 11 Avenue, Kianabad, Ahvaz, Iran
Email: alavi1329dr@yahoo.com

* Received for Publication: May 5, 2009

* Accepted: August 20, 2009



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