Changes in Circulating Mass of Plasma Proteins during the Acute Phase Response

Abstract

The concentrations in plasma of several proteins show major changes in response to tissue damage such as caused by surgery, bone fractures or myocardial infarction. This so-called acute phase response consists of a prolonged increase of plasma concentrations for fibrinogen, alpha₁-antitrypsin, haptoglobin and alpha₁-acid glycoprotein. Moreover, there appears in the plasma a considerable quantity of a protein, called C-reactive protein, which normally is absent or only occurs in trace amounts. Such proteins, defined as trauma-induced liver-produced glycoproteins [262], are called acute phase reactants. The proteinase inhibitor alpha₂-macroglobulin has also been described as an acute phase reactant by some authors, but this was denied by others [262].