C-Reactive Protein for Pulmonary Tuberculosis Screening and Treatment Response Monitoring in Children
Githua J, Mecha J, Stern J, Escudero JN, Njagi L, Kijaro L, Mirera J, Murithi W, et al. (12 authors)
Open forum infectious diseases · 2026-01
Abstract
C-reactive protein (CRP) was evaluated as a biomarker for pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis and treatment response monitoring in 292 Kenyan children. Although diagnostic sensitivity was suboptimal (35.5%-50.0%), the median CRP level decreased during TB treatment in children with confirmed ( P = .02) or unconfirmed ( P < .001) TB, primarily among those with baseline CRP elevation ≥5 mg/L (40% [39 of 97]).