ROLE OF C-REACTIVE PROTEIN IN ACUTE LUNG INJURY

Excessive inflammation caused by unregulated inflammatory processes ca n lead to disease. One example of this is seen in acute lung injury in which an individual is unable to regulate an inflammatory response in the lungs, with the net effect of self-induced tissue injury and loss of organ function. The acute-phase reactant, C-reactive protein, inhi bits acute lung injury in animal models and, in this regard, acts as a major anti-inflammatory agent. Therefore, understanding the mechanism by which C-reactive protein elicits this inhibitory effect may provid e important information about the design of therapeutic agents for the prevention or treatment of inflammation-mediated tissue injury and re sultant loss of organ function.