Normal C-reactive protein values for captive chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes).

Abstract

C-reactive protein (CRP) is used widely as an indicator of infections and recovery from infections in human medicine. It is an acute-phase serum protein, and its concentration increases in response to infection, trauma, and inflammation. In efficacy and safety studies involving chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) as an animal model to evaluate therapeutic drugs targeting the human population, CRP may be used as a diagnostic tool in assessing animal health. Establishing normal values in healthy populations of chimpanzees is crucial to interpreting changes in CRP serum levels and how they relate to drug safety and animal health.