# C-Reactive Protein for Pulmonary Tuberculosis Screening and Treatment Response Monitoring in Children

## TL;DR

This study explores the use of C-reactive protein (CRP) to monitor treatment response in children with tuberculosis, despite its limited usefulness for initial diagnosis.

## Contribution

The study identifies CRP as a potential marker for tracking treatment progress in children with TB, even though it is not effective for initial screening.

## Key findings

- CRP levels decreased significantly during TB treatment in both confirmed and unconfirmed cases.
- CRP's diagnostic sensitivity was low (35.5%–50.0%) for TB screening in children.
- Children with baseline CRP elevation showed a notable decrease during treatment.

## Abstract

C-reactive protein (CRP) was evaluated as a biomarker for pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis and treatment response monitoring in 292 Kenyan children. Although diagnostic sensitivity was suboptimal (35.5%–50.0%), the median CRP level decreased during TB treatment in children with confirmed (P = .02) or unconfirmed (P < .001) TB, primarily among those with baseline CRP elevation ≥5 mg/L (40% [39 of 97]).

Baseline C-reactive protein (CRP) levels were similar in children with and without tuberculosis, but decreased significantly during treatment in confirmed (P = .02) and unconfirmed (P < .001) tuberculosis. While CRP's diagnostic screening performance was suboptimal, findings suggest potential utility for treatment response monitoring.