Probiotic dietary supplementation in patients with stage 3 and 4 chronic kidney disease: a 6-month pilot scale trial in Canada Effects of Probiotic Supplementation on Hormonal Profiles, Biomarkers of Inflammation and Oxidative Stress in Women With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial. Near-patient test for C-reactive protein in general practice: assessment of clinical, organizational, and economic outcomes. The effect of dietary n-3 fatty acids on serum concentrations of C-reactive protein: a dose-response study. The effects of probiotic supplement on hemoglobin in chronic renal failure patients under hemodialysis: A randomized clinical trial Impact of C-reactive protein testing on adherence to thrice-daily antibiotic regimens in patients with lower respiratory tract infection. What a difference a CRP makes. A prospective observational study on how point-of-care C-reactive protein testing influences antibiotic prescription for respiratory tract infections in Swedish primary health care C-Reactive Protein and Genetic Variants and Cognitive Decline in Old Age: The PROSPER Study Usefulness of C-reactive protein testing in acute cough/respiratory tract infection: an open cluster-randomized clinical trial with C-reactive protein testing in the intervention group Efficacy of probiotic supplementation on quality of life and pulmonary symptoms due to sulfur mustard exposure: a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial Effects of Probiotic Supplementation on Pancreatic β-cell Function and C-reactive Protein in Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A Randomized Double-blind Placebo-controlled Clinical Trial [The value of C-reactive protein testing in suspected lower respiratory tract infections. A study from general practice on the effect of a rapid test on antibiotic research and course of the disease in adults]. Effect of dietary patterns on serum C-reactive protein level. Influence of Steroids on Procalcitonin and C-reactive Protein in Patients with COPD and Community-acquired Pneumonia Procalcitonin and C-Reactive Protein Levels in Community-Acquired Pneumonia: Correlation with Etiology and Prognosis C-reactive protein as a marker of ventilator-associated pneumonia resolution: a pilot study Effect of periodontal treatment on serum C-reactive protein level in obese and normal-weight women affected with chronic periodontitis.
ABSTRACT Aim : This was a pilot clinical trial to assess biochemical and clinical effects of an oral probiotic dietary supplement in chronic kidney disease ( CKD ) patients ( stages 3 and 4 ) . Methods : A prospect i ve , r and omized , double-blind , crossover , placebo-controlled , 6-month trial of probiotic bacteria was conducted in 16 out patients in Ontario , Canada . Primary endpoints included effect on hematologic , biochemical , and fecal variables , and on general well-being as assessed by quality of life ( QOL ) . These outcomes were evaluated from biochemical parameters , mainly blood urea nitrogen ( BUN ) , creatinine , uric acid , and C-reactive protein ( CRP ) as a general inflammatory marker . QOL was assessed on a subjective scale of 1 to 10 as the secondary parameter . Trial registration : This pilot study forms part of registered trial NCT00760162 . Results : A total of 13 patients completed the study . Three patients dropped out : one was the receiver of a transplant . The second dropped out for unknown reasons and the third died of myocardial infa rct ion ( unrelated to probiotic bacteria or the protocol ) . Among the 13 patients who completed the trial , the mean change in BUN concentration during the probiotic treatment period ( −2.93 mmol/L ) differed significantly ( p = 0.002 ) from the mean change in BUN concentration during the placebo period ( 4.52 mmol/L ) . In addition , the mean changes in uric acid concentration were moderate during the KB period ( 24.70 μmol/L ) versus during the placebo period ( 50.62 μmol/L , p = 0.050 ) , and the changes in serum creatinine concentration were insignificant . Neither gastrointestinal nor infectious complications were noted in any subject with improved QOL . Conclusion : Orally administered probiotic bacteria selected to metabolize nitrogenous wastes may be tolerated for as long as 6 months . A major limitation of this trial is its small size that may have precluded detection of changes in other biochemical or hematologic parameters that would be evident in larger cohorts . Extension of the evaluation of this probiotic bacterial mixture will include a dose escalation trial in a similar prospect i ve , placebo-controlled , and double-blind study site BACKGROUND To the best of our knowledge , data on effects of probiotic administration on hormonal profiles , biomarkers of inflammation and oxidative stress in women with polycystic ovary syndrome ( PCOS ) are scarce . This investigation was conducted to assess the effects of probiotic supplementation on hormonal profiles , biomarkers of inflammation and oxidative stress in women with PCOS . METHODS This r and omized , double-blind , placebo-controlled trial was conducted on 60 women with PCOS , aged 18 - 40 years old . Subjects were r and omly assigned into 2 groups to receive either probiotics or placebo ( n = 30 each group ) for 12 weeks . Metabolic profiles were quantified at baseline and after a 12-week intervention . RESULTS After the 12-week intervention , compared with placebo , probiotic supplementation significantly increased serum sex hormone-binding globulin ( SHBG ) ( + 25.9 ± 32.5 vs. + 0.5 ± 15.6 nmol/L , P < 0.001 ) and plasma total antioxidant capacity ( TAC ) ( + 8.8 ± 120.5 vs. -98.3 ± 246.4 mmol/L , P = 0.04 ) , and significantly decreased serum total testosterone ( -0.2 ± 0.7 vs. + 0.2 ± 0.6 ng/mL , P = 0.03 ) , modified Ferriman-Gallwey ( mF-G ) scores ( -1.7 ± 1.5 vs. -0.2 ± 1.0 , P < 0.001 ) , serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein ( hs-CRP ) ( -1150.0 ± 1295.2 vs. + 202.5 ± 1426.3 ng/mL , P < 0.001 ) and plasma malondialdehyde ( MDA ) concentrations ( -0.2 ± 0.6 vs. + 0.9 ± 1.3 µmol/L , P < 0.001 ) . We did not observe any detrimental effect of probiotic supplementation on other metabolic profiles . CONCLUSION Overall , probiotic supplementation of PCOS women for 12 weeks had beneficial effects on total testosterone , SHBG , mFG scores , hs-CRP , TAC and MDA levels but did not affect other metabolic profiles BACKGROUND The benefits of near-patient , point-of-care tests have not been fully examined . We have assessed the clinical , organizational , and economic outcomes of implementing a near-patient test for C-reactive protein ( CRP ) in general practice . METHODS In a r and omized crossover trial during intervention periods , general practitioners ( GPs ) were allowed to measure CRP within 3 min , using NycoCard(R ) CRP . During control periods , they had to mail blood sample s for CRP measurements to the hospital laboratory and received test results 24 - 48 h later .  Twenty-nine general practice clinics participated ( 64 GPs ) , and 1853 patients were included in the study . Results were evaluated at both the level of participating GPs and the level of included patients . RESULTS For participating GPs , the overall use of erythrocyte sedimentation rates ( ESRs ) decreased by 8 % ( 95 % confidence interval , 1 - 14 % ) during intervention periods , and the number of blood sample s mailed to the hospital laboratory decreased by 6 % ( 1 - 10 % ) . No reduction in the prescription of antibiotics was seen . The proportion of study patients having a follow-up telephone consultation was reduced from 63 % to 53 % ( P = 0 . 0001 ) , and patients with CRP concentrations > 50 mg/L had their antibiotic treatments started earlier when CRP was measured in general practice s ( P = 0.0161 ) . CONCLUSION The implementation of the near-patient CRP test was cost-effective mainly on the basis of a reduction in the use of services from the hospital laboratory by GPs . If the implementation is followed by education and clinical guidelines , opportunities exist for additional reduction in the use of ESR and for a more appropriate use of antibiotics C-reactive protein ( CRP ) is a sensitive marker for low- grade inflammation . Long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids ( PUFA ) have anti-inflammatory effects . The objective of the present study was to investigate the effect on serum levels of CRP of n-3 PUFA at two different doses . We also investigated correlations between CRP and the cellular contents of PUFA . Sixty healthy volunteers ( twenty-five women and thirty-five men ) were r and omly assigned to three treatment groups in a double-blind design . The subjects received a supplement of either 6.6 g n-3 PUFA/d , 2.0 g n-3 PUFA/d or placebo ( olive oil ) for 12 weeks . CRP was measured using a highly sensitive assay . The median serum CRP concentration was 0.78 mg/l . No significant correlations were found between CRP and the content of n-3 PUFA in granulocytes or platelets . Subjects receiving n-3 PUFA had a significant ( P<0.01 ) increase in the cellular contents of 20 : 5n-3 , 22 : 5n-3 and 22 : 6n-3 , with the largest increase occurring in the group receiving 6.6 g PUFA/d . A significant ( P<0.01 ) decrease in cellular content of 18 : 2n-6 and 20 : 4n-6 was observed simultaneously . Serum CRP concentrations , however , were unaffected by the PUFA-containing supplements . The present study shows that dietary supplementation with PUFA-containing supplements has no effect on serum concentrations of CRP , measured with a highly sensitive assay , in healthy subjects Background : Chronic inflammation is one of the causes of anemia in chronic renal failure patients under hemodialysis . Probiotics probably establish a balance between pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines . The study was conducted to determine the effects of probiotic supplementation on hemoglobin ( Hb ) in hemodialysis patients . Material s and Methods : A parallel clinical trial was conducted in which patients were r and omly allocated into two groups . The intervention group ( n = 18 ) was given a 500 mg probiotic supplement ( a capsule ) every day whereas the  control group ( n = 18 ) received placebo ( a capsule ) , both for 3 months . Hb levels and C-reactive protein ( CRP ) levels were measured for three periods . The data were analyzed in SPSS-16 using statistical tests including the t-test and repeated- measures ANOVA . Results : In the probiotic supplementation group , the mean Hb was 9.22 ± 1.04 mg/dl before the intervention and reached 10.85 ± 1.177 mg/dl afterward , while in the placebo group , the mean Hb level was 9.38 ± 0.97 mg/dl before the intervention and reached 10.03 ± 1.97 mg/dl afterward ( P > 0.05 ) . During the study , the placebo caused to increase of Hb temporary , but in longer term , the effect of probiotic was more manifested . Hb levels increased in both groups although the change was not statistically significant ( P > 0.05 ) . The findings showed no significant differences between the two groups in either the pre- or post-intervention CRP levels ( P = 0.239 ) . Conclusion : Probiotic supplementation  decreased Hb fluctuations in hemodialysis patients but did not result in a significant increase in Hb levels . Similar studies are therefore recommended to be conducted with a prolonged duration of the study or an increased probiotic dose with larger sample size to complete the results of the present study BACKGROUND Few studies have analysed adherence to antibiotic treatment in respiratory tract infections . OBJECTIVE To evaluate the impact of C-reactive protein ( CRP ) testing on treatment adherence among patients aged 18 or over with lower respiratory tract infection ( LRTI ) treated with thrice-daily antibiotic regimens .  DESIGN Prospect i ve study 2003 - 2008 . SETTING Office-based physician practice s. METHODS We compared patient adherence prior to the use of CRP testing ( no CRP test was available prior to 2007 ) with adherence following CRP rapid testing for suspected bacterial infection in LRTIs . Patient adherence was assessed by electronic monitoring . RESULTS 161 patients with LRTI were recruited . The percentage of container openings was 76.8 ± 17.4 % . Adherence was significantly better when the CRP test was performed ( 83.3 % vs. 74.4 % ; p < 0.01 ) , as was ' good timing ' adherence during at least 80 % of the antibiotic course ( 32.6 % vs. 16.9 % ; p < 0.05 ) . CONCLUSION Greater antibiotic treatment adherence is observed among patients with LRTI after CRP testing at the consultation prior to administration of antibiotic treatment Abstract Objective : To explore how C-reactive protein ( CRP ) tests serve to support physicians in decisions concerning antibiotic  prescription to patients with respiratory tract infections ( RTI ) . Design . Prospect i ve observational study . Setting : Primary health care centres in western Sweden . Subjects . Physicians in primary health care . Patients with acute RTI . Main outcome measures : Physician willingness to measure CRP , their ability to estimate CRP , and changes in decision-making concerning antibiotic treatment based on error estimate and the physician ’s opinion of whether CRP measurement was crucial . Results : Data from 340 consultations were gathered . CRP testing was found to be crucial in 130 cases . In 86 % of visits decisions regarding antibiotic prescription were unchanged . Physicians considering CRP crucial and physicians making an error estimate of CRP altered their decisions concerning antibiotic prescription after CRP testing more often than those who considered CRP unnecessary , and those making a more accurate estimate . Physicians changed their decision on antibiotic prescription in 49 cases . In the majority of these 49 cases physicians underestimated CRP levels , and the majority of changes were from “ no ” to “ yes ” as to whether to prescribe antibiotics . Conclusion : CRP is an important factor in the decision on whether to prescribe antibiotics for RTIs . Error estimates of CRP and willingness to measure CRP are important factors leading to physicians changing decisions on antibiotic treatment . Key points There is a generally low antibiotic prescription rate and a high frequency of C-reactive protein ( CRP ) testing for respiratory tract infections ( RTIs ) in Sweden .  CRP testing was considered essential to further management in 38 % of cases . In 86 % of visits decisions concerning antibiotic prescription were unchanged . The strongest predictors for revised decisions on antibiotic treatment were error estimates of CRP and the physician ’s opinion that CRP measurement was crucial Background Plasma concentrations of C-reactive protein ( CRP ) , a marker of chronic inflammation , have been associated with cognitive impairment in old age . However , it is unknown whether CRP is causally linked to cognitive decline . Methods and Findings Within the Prospect i ve Study of Pravastatin in the Elderly at Risk ( PROSPER ) trial , with 5680 participants with a mean age of 75 years , we examined associations of CRP levels and its genetic determinants with cognitive performance and decline over 3.2 years mean follow-up . Higher plasma CRP concentrations were associated with poorer baseline performance on the Stroop test ( P = 0.001 ) and Letter Digit Tests ( P<0.001 ) , but not with the immediate and delayed Picture Learning Test ( PLT ; both P>0.5 ) . In the prospect i ve analyses , higher CRP concentrations associated with increased rate of decline in the immediate PLT ( P = 0.016 ) , but not in other cognitive tests ( all p>0.11 ) . Adjustment for prevalent cardiovascular risk factors and disease did not change the baseline associations nor associations with cognitive decline during follow-up . Four haplotypes of CRP were used and , compared to the common haplotype , carrierships associated strongly with levels of CRP ( all P<0.007 ) . In comparison to strong associations of apolipoprotein E with cognitive measures , associations of CRP haplotypes with such measures were inconsistent . Conclusion Plasma CRP concentrations associate with cognitive performance in part through pathways independent of ( risk factors for ) cardiovascular disease . However , lifelong exposure to higher CRP levels does not associate with poorer cognitive performance in old age . The current data weaken the argument for a causal role of CRP in cognitive performance , but further study is warranted to draw definitive conclusions Background Point of care testing for C-reactive protein ( CRP ) has shown promise as a measure to reduce unnecessary antibiotic prescribing in respiratory tract infections ( RTI ) , but its use in primary care is still controversial . We aim ed to evaluate the effect of CRP testing on the prescription of antibiotics , referral for radiography , and the outcome of patients in general practice with acute cough/RTI . Methods An open-cluster r and omized clinical trial was conducted , with CRP testing performed in the intervention group .  Antibiotic prescribing and referral for radiography  were the main outcome measures . Results A total of 179 patients were included : 101 in the intervention group and 78 in the control group . The two groups were similar in clinical characteristics . In the intervention group , the antibiotic prescribing rate was 37.6 % , which was significantly lower than that in the control group ( 58.9 % ) ( P = 0.006 ) . Referral for chest X-ray was also significantly lower in the intervention group ( 55.4 % ) than in the control group ( 75.6 % ) ( P = 0.004 ) . The recovery rate , as recorded by the GPs , was 92.9 % and 93.6 % in the intervention and control groups , respectively . Conclusion The study showed that  CRP testing in patients with acute cough/RTI may reduce antibiotic prescribing and referral for radiography , probably without compromising recovery . Trial registration The trial was registered in the Clinical Trials.gov Protocol Registration System ( identification number : NCT01794819 ) Abstract Objective : This study investigated the efficacy and safety of supplementation with probiotics in improving chronic pulmonary symptoms due to sulfur mustard ( SM ) exposure . Methods : In a r and omized double-blind placebo-controlled study , 65 subjects suffering from chronic pulmonary complications of SM were assigned to one probiotic capsule ( 1 × 109 CFU containing seven strains of lactic acid-producing bacteria ) every 12 h or an identical placebo for six weeks . Serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein ( CRP ) concentrations , pulmonary function tests ( FEV1 , FEV1/FVC and MMEF 25–75 % ) and COPD assessment test ( CAT ) were assessed at baseline and at the end of trial . Results : The groups were comparable in baseline characteristics . There were significant improvements in FEV1/FVC in the probiotic but not in placebo group . CAT scores were decreased in both study groups . However , between-group comparison of changes in the assessed parameters reached statistical significance only for CAT score ( p < 0.001 ) . There was no report of adverse events during the course of trial . Conclusions : Findings of the present trial favor the efficacy of probiotic supplementation in improving the pulmonary symptoms of SM-exposed subjects Background : Polycystic ovary syndrome ( PCOS ) is a polygenic endocrine disorder in women of reproductive age that lead to infertility . The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of probiotic on pancreatic β-cell function and C-reactive protein ( CRP ) in PCOS patients . Methods : This r and omized double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial was conducted among 72 women aged 15–40 years old diagnosed with PCOS . Participants were r and omly assigned to two groups receiving : ( 1 ) Probiotic supplements ( n = 36 ) , ( 2 ) placebo ( n = 36 ) for 8-week . Fasting blood sample s were taken at baseline and after 8-week of intervention . Results : Probiotic supplementation , compare with placebo , reduced fasting blood sugar ( −4.15 ± 2.87 vs. 2.57 ± 5.66 mg/dL , respectively P = 0.7 ) , serum insulin levels in crude model ( −0.49 ± 0.67 vs. 0.34 ± 0.82 μIU/mL , respectively , P = 0.09 ) , homeostasis model of assessment -insulin resistance score ( −0.25 ± 0.18 vs. −0.05 ± 0.18 , respectively , P = 0.14 ) nonsignificantly . Serum insulin levels after adjustment with covariates reduced significantly in probiotic group ( P = 0.02 ) . We did not found any significant differences in mean changes of CRP between groups ( −0.25 ± 0.18 vs. −0.05 ± 0.18 , respectively , P = 0.14 ) . Conclusions : A 8-week multispecies probiotics supplementation had nonsignificantly beneficial effect on pancreatic β-cell function and CRP in PCOS patients . After adjustment for some covariates , serum insulin changes were significantly different between groups We wanted to assess whether routine use of a rapid test for C-reactive protein ( CRP ) could reduce prescription of antibiotics for adults with possible lower respiratory tract infection . 239 patients were r and omized into a CRP group , tested with the rapid test ( n = 108 ) and a control group ( n = 121 ) . Before knowing to which group the patient belonged the doctors made a preliminary decision about antibacterial treatment . The C-reactive protein value was then released if the patient belonged to the CRP group , and the therapy could be adjusted in light of the result . Antibacterial courses prescribed during the consultations and in the following three weeks were registered . The clinical course was evaluated by interview after one week and again after three weeks . Antibiotics were prescribed for altogether 56 % of the patients in the CRP group and 60 % in the control group . The difference was not statistically significant . Prescription of antibiotics  was strongly associated with the finding of crackles and wheezes , but not with cough , dyspnoea or chest pain . Slow recovery was associated with high age , absence of fever and a normal value of C-reactive protein . No significant benefit of the CRP test was demonstrated . We discuss whether the doctors made full practical use of the information provided by the test . Bronchial obstruction should probably be considered to be the problem more often in coughing patients with a normal CRP value BACKGROUND AND AIMS C-reactive protein ( CRP ) is a marker of inflammation which has been shown in multiple prospect i ve epidemiological studies to predict the risk of cardiovascular disease and metabolic syndrome . Dietary patterns may influence the risk of diseases through the effects of CRP on inflammation . The aim of this study was to examine the relationship of dietary patterns with CRP in blood , taking into consideration gender and blood pressure . METHODS AND RESULTS The present cross-sectional analysis included 7574 participants from a large , population -based study of middle-aged Koreans . Four dietary patterns , including ' fruit ' , ' vegetable ' , ' meat ' and ' coffee ' , were derived using factor analysis . Multiple linear regressions were used to evaluate the association between dietary patterns and CRP after adjusting for age , sex , education , waist circumference , smoke status and alcohol consumption . We found that the ' vegetable ' pattern was inversely associated with CRP ( Ptrend = 0.01 ) . The adjusted mean CRP was 0.04 mg/dl lower ( 95 % CI -0.07 , -0.01 ) for subjects in the highest quartile of the ' vegetable ' pattern compared with those in the lowest quartile . This inverse association was more pronounced in men with hypertensive blood ; CRP concentrations across increasing quartile categories of the ' vegetable ' pattern score were 0.1 , 0.14 , and 0.15 mg/dl reduction compared to the 1st quartile ( the lowest quartile ) ( Ptrend = 0.04 , Plinearity = 0.02 ) . CONCLUSIONS The inverse association of the ' vegetable ' pattern with CRP was assessed , and the association appeared to be more predominant in men with hypertensive blood pressure Background : The induction of C-reactive Protein ( CRP ) may be attenuated by corticosteroids , whereas Procalcitonin ( PCT ) appears to be unaltered . We investigated , whether in community-acquired pneumonia ( CAP ) a combined antibiotic-corticosteroid therapy may actually lead to different slopes of decline of these inflammatory markers . Patients and Methods : We studied the slopes of decline of PCT and CRP serum levels during 7 consecutive days as well as clinical parameters in a group of patients with CAP on or off corticosteroids . Patients with underlying COPD received systemic corticosteroids ( n = 10 ) , while non- COPD patients ( n = 10 ) presenting with CAP alone formed the control group . All patients were treated with antibiotics . Results : At baseline , relevant clinical and laboratory characteristics of the two groups were similar . Regarding the decreasing shapes of the curves from PCT and CRP , no significant differences were found ( p-value = 0.48 for the groups for CRP , respectively 0.64 for PCT ) . All patients showed an uneventful recovery . Conclusion : In patients with COPD and CAP , the time courses over 7 days of PCT and CRP showed a nearly parallel decline compared to non- COPD patients with CAP . Contrary to the induction phase , corticosteroids do not modify the time-dependent decay of PCT and CRP when the underlying infectious disease ( CAP ) is adequately treated Summary Background : The diagnostic value of admission serum levels of procalcitonin ( PCT ) and  C-reactive protein ( CRP )  as indicators of the etiology and prognosis was prospect ively investigated . Patients : 96 patients , 50–85 years of age , treated in the hospital for community-acquired pneumonia ( CAP ) . Results : On admission , all patients had elevated CRP levels ( > 10 mg/l ) , but only 60 patients ( 54 % ) had elevated PCT levels ( > 0.1 μg/l ) . The severity of disease measured by APACHE II score was strongly associated with admission levels of PCT ( p = 0.006 ) , but not with CRP . Eight of nine patients with pneumonia caused by atypical agents had PCT levels < 0.5 μg/l compared with 6/27 patients with pneumonia caused by classical bacterial pathogens , mainly Streptococcus pneumoniae ( p = 0.03 ) . No such correlation between CRP levels and etiology was found . Conclusion : Our data indicate that in patients admitted to the hospital with CAP , measurement of PCT gives information about the severity of the disease , and may aid the physician to differentiate typical bacterial etiology from atypical etiology , and thereby to choose appropriate initial antibiotic treatment The aim of this study was to evaluate  C-reactive protein ( CRP ) levels , body temperature and white cell count ( WCC ) after prescription of antibiotics in order to describe the clinical resolution of ventilator-associated pneumonia ( VAP ) . A cohort of 47 VAP patients with microbiological confirmation of disease was assessed .  CRP levels , body temperature and WCC were monitored daily . On day 4 of the antibiotic therapy , the CRP level of survivors was 0.62 times the initial value , whereas , in nonsurvivors , it was 0.98 . Body temperature and WCC remained almost unchanged . By day 4 , a CRP of > 0.6 times the initial level was a marker of poor outcome ( sensitivity 0.92 ; specificity 0.59 ) . Patients were divided according to their CRP patterns of response to antibiotics : fast response , slow response , nonresponse , and biphasic response . All patients with fast and slow response patterns survived , whereas those showing nonresponse and a biphasic response pattern exhibited a mortality of 78 and 75 % , respectively . The adequacy of the initial antibiotic therapy had a marked influence on the rate of CRP decrease , as well as on mortality . In conclusion , daily C-reactive protein measurements after antibiotic prescription were useful in the identification , as early as day 4 , of ventilator-associated pneumonia patients with poor outcome . The identification of the pattern of C-reactive protein response to antibiotics was useful in the recognition of individual clinical course , improving or worsening , as well as of the rate of improvement OBJECTIVE To investigate the effect of conventional periodontal therapy on serum C-reactive protein ( CRP ) level and periodontal status in obese and normal-weight chronic periodontitis patients . METHODS This is a controlled clinical trial conducted at the King Abdulaziz University Faculty of Dentistry , Jeddah , Kingdom of Saudi Arabia between December 2009 and March 2011 . A total of 40 women affected with moderate to severe chronic periodontitis were selected ( 20 obese [ test group ] and 20 normal-weight [ control ] ) . Smokers , pregnant women , and subjects with any systemic disease were excluded . Serum CRP level and periodontal parameters , including clinical attachment level , probing depth , bleeding on probing and plaque scores were assessed at baseline , and 2 months after non-surgical periodontal treatment . RESULTS Periodontal therapy was effective in reducing gingival inflammation , as well as serum CRP level in the total sample and within each group . The pre-treatment mean level of serum CRP was 0.78 ( + /-0.51 ) and post- treatment was 0.55 ( + /-0.41 ) mg/l in the total sample ( p=0.001 ) . A tendency was observed toward a better systemic response to treatment in normal-weight compared to obese women , however , it was not statistically significant ( the mean changes in CRP levels after therapy were 0.28 [ + /-0.43 ] and 0.19 [ + /-0.32 ] mg/l ) . CONCLUSION Periodontal treatment is effective in reducing systemic inflammation as measured by serum CRP level , and obesity does not have a major negative impact on response to periodontal therapy
This meta- analysis suggests that probiotic administration may significantly reduce serum CRP while having no significant effect on serum IL10 and TNF-α
We conducted this systematic review and meta- analysis of prospect i ve studies to determine the effect of  probiotic administration on serum C-reactive protein ( CRP ) concentrations .