Time sequence of acute phase reactive proteins following surgical trauma

Abstract 1. 1. The “acute phase” responses, following surgical trauma, of C-reactive protein, orosomucoid, haptoglobin, the α 1 -acid glycoprotein of Schultze, fibrinogen, ceruloplasmin and the α 2 -macroglobulin were investigated in parallel. Of these 7 proteins only the α 2 -macroglobulin consistently fails to rise following surgery. 2. 2. The speed and duration of responses of the different proteins was independent, and the relative amplitude of the responses of the different proteins varied from patient to patient. 3. 3. Changes in individual proteins, estimated immunochemically, were greater than changes in electrophoretic analyses. 4. 4. C-reactive protein, unique in being undetectable in normal sera, is most consistent in response and is therefore probably the most satisfactory single screening test of an “acute phase” reaction.