Editing C-reactive protein (section)

{{Short description|Mammalian protein found in humans}}
{{Distinguish|cAMP receptor protein}}
{{cs1 config |name-list-style=vanc |display-authors=6}}
{{Infobox gene}}
'''C-reactive protein''' ('''CRP''') is an annular (ring-shaped) [[pentameric protein]] found in [[blood plasma]], whose [[circulating concentration]]s rise in response to [[inflammation]]. It is an [[acute-phase protein]] of [[hepatic]] origin that increases following [[interleukin-6]] secretion by [[macrophage]]s and [[T cell]]s. Its physiological role is to bind to [[lysophosphatidylcholine]] expressed on the surface of dead or dying cells (and some types of bacteria) in order to activate the [[complement system]] via [[C1q]].<ref name="pmid10368284">{{cite journal | vauthors = Thompson D, Pepys MB, Wood SP | title = The physiological structure of human C-reactive protein and its complex with phosphocholine | journal = Structure | volume = 7 | issue = 2 | pages = 169–177 | date = February 1999 | pmid = 10368284 | doi = 10.1016/S0969-2126(99)80023-9 | doi-access = free }}</ref>

CRP is synthesized by the [[liver]]<ref name="Pepys">{{cite journal | vauthors = Pepys MB, Hirschfield GM | title = C-reactive protein: a critical update | journal = The Journal of Clinical Investigation | volume = 111 | issue = 12 | pages = 1805–1812 | date = June 2003 | pmid = 12813013 | pmc = 161431 | doi = 10.1172/JCI18921 }}</ref> in response to factors released by [[macrophage]]s, T cells and fat cells ([[adipocytes]]).<ref name="Lau">{{cite journal | vauthors = Lau DC, Dhillon B, Yan H, Szmitko PE, Verma S | title = Adipokines: molecular links between obesity and atheroslcerosis | journal = American Journal of Physiology. Heart and Circulatory Physiology | volume = 288 | issue = 5 | pages = H2031–H2041 | date = May 2005 | pmid = 15653761 | doi = 10.1152/ajpheart.01058.2004 }}</ref> It is a member of the [[pentraxin]] family of proteins.<ref name=Pepys/> It is not related to [[C-peptide]] (insulin) or [[protein C]] (blood coagulation). C-reactive protein was the first [[pattern recognition receptor]] (PRR) to be identified.<!-- The page for CD14 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CD14) says that CD14 was the first PRR to be described. Which is it? --><ref name="pmid17828584">{{cite journal | vauthors = Mantovani A, Garlanda C, Doni A, Bottazzi B | title = Pentraxins in innate immunity: from C-reactive protein to the long pentraxin PTX3 | journal = Journal of Clinical Immunology | volume = 28 | issue = 1 | pages = 1–13 | date = January 2008 | pmid = 17828584 | doi = 10.1007/s10875-007-9126-7 | s2cid = 20300531 }}</ref>