HS-CRP: High Sensitivity C Reactive protein
A brief on High Sensitivity C Reactive protein
HS-CRP is a non-specific marker of inflammation & more sensitive (to detect lower values) As compared to the regular C Reactive Protein. This parameter may rise due to anything
that causes any tissue injury, few of the examples of which can be even something as
trivial as an ankle sprain to any infection or disease. Elderly individuals also have been seen
to have a non-specific increase in HSCRP. This parameter is also very useful for assessing
risk of any future cardiac event. Relative cardiovascular risk is low if HS-CRP value is less than 0.1
mg/dL, moderate if 0.1-0.3 mg/dL, and high if .0.3 mg/dL. Your physician may use this
parameter’s trend to monitor the progression of a specific condition.
What is Complete Blood Count?
Complete blood count (CBC) is an important initial test which checks the number and type of blood cells. It is helpful in understanding the overall health condition and diagnosing disease conditions such as anaemia, infection, inflammatory conditions and bleeding disorders.
We, at Dr. Dangs Lab counter check all the CBCs manually after processing in automated counters for accurate reporting. This also helps the pathologist to identify any incidental finding that guides the physician to take appropriate treatment decisions.
- Haemoglobin is a pigment present in the red blood cells. It carries oxygen from the lungs to various body tissues. Deficiency of Haemoglobin may be indicative of reduced oxygen carrying capacity of blood. Reduced haemoglobin levels indicate anaemia.
- Total Leucocyte Count is the count of white blood cells per unit volume of blood. Increased total leucocyte count may be indicative of infections or inflammation, while decreased total leucocyte count may cause a decrease in the body's ability to fight diseases.
- Red Blood Cell Count In this test the total number of Red Blood Cells (RBCs) are counted per microlitre of blood. A low or high RBC count may be indicative of various health related conditions.
- Packed Cell VolumeThe packed cell volume (PCV) is a measurement of the proportion of blood that is made up of Red blood cells. It may be indicative of dehydration, anaemia and increase in blood cells
- MCV (Mean Corpuscular Volume) is a measure of the mean size of the RBCs. It is able to assess the presence of certain types of anaemia.
- MCH ( Mean Corpuscular Hb) It is the average amount of haemoglobin in RBCs.
- MCHC ( Mean Corpuscular Hb Conc.) It is the average concentration of haemoglobin in your red blood cells.
- Red Cell Distribution Width It measures the difference in volume and size of RBCs.
- Platelet Platelets are essential for blood clot formation. Too high or too low platelet count may be indicative of various health problems. A decreased platelet count is called thrombocytopenia, and is commonly caused primarily by decreased bone marrow production, certain viral fevers, and due to certain drugs. An elevated platelet count, or thrombocytosis, can also be caused primarily by bone marrow stimulation. Increased platelets may also result from an acute response to physiologic stress, such as infection or inflammation.
Differential Leucocyte Count
There are primarily five types of white blood cells, each with different functions: neutrophils, lymphocytes, monocytes, eosinophils and basophils. The differential reveals if these cells are present in normal proportion to one another, or if there is presence of immature or abnormal cells. This information is helpful in diagnosing specific types of illnesses that affect the immune system.
- Neutrophil. Neutrophils increase in number and respond rapidly in inflammatory processes, tissue injury and bacterial/fungal infection.
- Lymphocyte. Lymphocytes are the WBCs that secrete antibodies, and kill virus infected cells and tumour cells. Increased levels usually indicate viral infections.
- Monocyte. Monocytes are a type of WBCs that have an important role in inflammation and fighting infections. Increased monocytes are usually indicative of viral infections.
- Eosinophil. Eosinophils are a type of WBCs that have the ability to fight allergic conditions. Normally your body has a very small number of eosinophils but they increase in number if you have allergic disorders (eg. asthma), parasitic or fungal infections or some skin diseases.
- Basophil. Basophil’s makeup only a small portion of your WBCs but play an important role in inflammatory and allergic reactions of your body. They release histamine and other chemicals. Histamine is the chemical that causes symptoms of allergy
