CRP protein as a marker for early diagnosis of post-implantation complications of aorto-difemoral graft

The usefulness of determining CRP for the early diagnosis of post-implantat ion complications of aorto-difemoral graft in patients with a chronic occlu sion limb arteriae was studied. Atherosclerosis increases the plasma level of CRP, but no correlations between plasma concentration of CRP and level o f limb ischaemia have been found. In patients with normal healing of an aor to-difemoral graft, the plasma level of CRP decreased from the day 7th; at the 30th day after implantation it reached values close to physiological on es. In patients with post operation complications the high CRP level persis ted relatively long and at day 30 it was 5 times higher than in the control group. It may be concluded that determining the CRP plasma level is a valu able marker for monitoring the course of post-operative healing in patients with aorto-difemoral graft, the examined CRP plasma also enables an early detection of bacterial graft infection.