Positive acute-phase reactants do what to plasma concentration?

Positive acute-phase reactants do what to plasma concentration?

• A. Increase by 25%
• B. Decrease by 25%
• C. No change
• D. Fluctuate

Answer: (A)

When inflammation occurs, the liver responds by doubling down on producing certain proteins known as positive acute-phase reactants. Cytokines released during the inflammatory process stimulate hepatic synthesis, so the levels of these proteins in plasma rise. This upward shift in concentration is the hallmark of the positive acute-phase response, with proteins like C-reactive protein and fibrinogen increasing notably. The exact increase varies with the intensity and duration of inflammation, but the key idea is that the concentration goes up rather than down or staying the same. So selecting an option that indicates an increase is correct; the 25% figure is a representative example of this upward change, though some proteins rise by much more than that.

When inflammation occurs, the liver responds by doubling down on producing certain proteins known as positive acute-phase reactants. Cytokines released during the inflammatory process stimulate hepatic synthesis, so the levels of these proteins in plasma rise. This upward shift in concentration is the hallmark of the positive acute-phase response, with proteins like C-reactive protein and fibrinogen increasing notably. The exact increase varies with the intensity and duration of inflammation, but the key idea is that the concentration goes up rather than down or staying the same. So selecting an option that indicates an increase is correct; the 25% figure is a representative example of this upward change, though some proteins rise by much more than that.