Background:

C-reactive protein is one of the best marker for the assessment and monitoring of inflammatory diseases; the recommended reference values for its serum concentration are not gender-adjusted.

Objective:

To determine whether C-reactive protein concentration differs by gender.

Methodology:

An exploratory study was conducted on 3199 patient samples from Camilo Cienfuegos General Provincial Hospital and a control group of 76 serum samples from blood donors of each gender from the Sancti Spíritus Blood Bank. Levels were measured by a semi-quantitative latex particle agglutination assay for the presumed diseased sample and a quantitative immunoturbidimetric assay for the presumed healthy sample. Mean levels were compared between genders in each using Student's t-test for independent samples.

Results:

The mean of C-reactive protein levels in the male and female gender of the supposedly diseased sample was 3.49 mg/L and 3.41 mg/L respectively. In the control group the mean comparison of C-reactive protein levels between genders was 1.38 mg/L for males and 1.94 mg/L for females.

Conclusion:

No significant gender differences were found in the presumed ill sample, nor in the control group.

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