What are acute phase reactants?
Acute-phase reactants are a heterogeneous group of proteins (fibrinogen, haptoglobin, CRP, serum amyloid A, ferritin, alpha-1-antitrypsin, and others) synthesized in the liver as part of the acute inflammatory response. Common inciting events include infection, malignancy, trauma, tissue injury, or rheumatic disease. Interleukin-6 (IL-6), an inflammatory cytokine, is an important mediator that stimulates the production of acute-phase reactants.
