[The role of C-reactive protein (CRP) determination in the early diagnosis of infections with opportunistic microorganisms in HIV-infected children].

The levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) in sera of 71 HIV-seropositive children and of 71 apparently healthy children were determined by Mancini method. The results demonstrate that HIV-infection per se doesn't increase the concentration of CRP in serum. After this we wanted to determine the relationship between CRP and evolution of HIV-infection. For this we used a set of 8 children in different stages of HIV-infection. For each child we had at least 2 sera, used for diagnosis and CRP assay. Three children (one with AIDS [correction of SIDA] and 2 in intermediate stage) had elevated levels of CRP. The reason for these elevations were an acute salmonellosis, a febrile episode of unknown origin and for the last child, once a staphylococcal infection of the skin and once an acute bronchiolitis clinically but not microbiologically documented. In conclusion, HIV-infection per se doesn't induce increased levels of the CRP, in any stage; this protein could be used as a marker of bacterial, parasitic and cytomegalovirus infections.