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Identification of C-Reactive Protein Variants and Association with Serum Levels

Deborah Nickerson, Ph.D.
University of Washington
NIEHS Contract N01ES15478

C-reactive protein is a marker for inflammatory processes. More recent research demonstrates that an elevated C-reactive protein level is a risk factor for diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease, and that genetic variation within the gene coding for the protein may be associated with levels circulating in the blood stream. A new study from the University of Washington and partially supported by NIEHS confirms that genetic variations in the gene for C-reactive protein are associated with increased serum levels in the general population.

The study participants came from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). DNA analyses were conducted on 7,159 participants. Genotyping was performed on all samples for nine single nucleotide polymorphisms in the C-reactive protein gene found previously. Several of the genetic variations for increased and decreased C-reactive protein levels were more or less prevalent in different racial groups making up the study participants.

These findings are important because they confirm that serum levels of C-reactive protein are genetically influenced. The genetic variations identified in this study could be used to identify people at risk for cardiovascular and other serious diseases or to target people for more aggressive interventions to prevent heart disease from occurring.

Citation: Crawford DC, Sanders CL, Qin X, Smith JD, Shephard C, Wong M, Witrak L, Rieder MJ, Nickerson DA. Genetic variation is associated with C-reactive protein levels in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Circulation. 2006 Dec 5;114(23):2458-65.

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Last Reviewed: May 15, 2007