[C-reactive protein in normal pregnancy]

Abstract

Serum C-reactive protein levels (CRP) were measured by means of the immunoturbidimetric assay technique in 33 healthy pregnant women (38-42 week of gestation) and 32 healthy women in labour at term. CRP values for pregnant women ranged from 0.15 to 1.5 mg/dl with the median value 0.2 mg/dl. The 95th percentile for CRP in these pregnant women was 1.2 mg/dl. CRP values for women in labour at term ranged from 0.15 to 2.7 mg/dl. The median CRP value for these women was 0.8 mg/dl; the 95th percentile was 1.9 mg/dl. CRP values for women in labour at term were significantly higher than CRP values for pregnant women (p < 0.001). C-reactive protein levels in normal pregnancies appear to be higher than standardized values for nonpregnant individuals, and CRP values are further elevated in labour.