CORRELATION OF ERYTHROCYTE SEDIMENTATION RATE (ESR) AND CREACTIVE PROTEIN (CRP) WITH GRADE OF SPUTUM POSITIVITY IN PULMONARY TUBERCULOSIS PATIENTS

This study investigates the correlation between C-reactive protein (CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and sputum grades in pulmonary tuberculosis patients. Conducted in the Department of Pulmonary Medicine at Government Medical College, Amritsar, 100 sputum-positive TB patients were analyzed. The study found that CRPand ESR levels significantly correlate with sputum smear grades, indicating that higher levels of these markers reflect increased disease severity. Specifically, the highest ESR and CRP values were observed in patients with Grade 3 sputum smears. The study concludes that ESR is strongly correlated with disease severity,and it could be a valuable diagnostic tool in resource-limited settings. Both CRPand ESR are recommended as adjunctive markers for assessing severity of the disease.