C-Reactive Protein for Pulmonary Tuberculosis Screening and Treatment Response Monitoring in Children
Joy Githua, Jerphason Mecha, Joshua Stern, Jaclyn N Escudero, Lilian N. Njagi, L Akeyo Kijaro, Jacqueline Mirera, Wilfred Murithi, et al. (12 authors)
Open Forum Infectious Diseases · 2026-01
Abstract
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]).
MeSH terms
- Medicine
- Pulmonary tuberculosis
- Internal medicine
- Biomarker
- Tuberculosis
- C-reactive protein
- Immunology
- Active tuberculosis