VALUE OF THE PROTEIN PROFILE IN THE DIAGN OSIS OF UNEXPLAINED INFLAMMATORY SYNDROMES

The diagnosis of unexplained inflammatory syndromes requires many inve stigations which are commonly expensive, often invasive and must be re peated several times. A means for physicians to improve the diagnosis procedure would be to have new rests available to select the best diag nosis procedures. In order to rest the value of the protein profile (P P) in the case of unexplained inflammatory syndromes, we prospectively studied 95 among 650 patients admitted in our unit for an inflammator y syndrom defined by a C Reactive Protein level > 2 mg/dl. and a sedim entation rare > 30 mm, which remained unexplained after a 5 day hospit alization (49 men, 46 women; mean age: 62.9 +/- 12.3 years). PP has be en considered as a useful test for the diagnosis in 21 cases (22%) hav ing been definitively established by pathologic examination (42%), rad iologic procedures (24%), endoscopy (19%), immunological tests (19%), and serological test (9.5%). The definitive diagnosis was a systemic d isease in 12 cases, infection (four cases), malignancy (three cases), amyloidosis (one case) and ocult intestinal bleeding (one case). Concl usion. - Our data indicate that PP is a useful rest for the diagnosis of unexplained inflammatory syndromes; its main utility is the disclos ure of some specific biochemical syndromes available for better select ing the definitive diagnosis procedures.