Modifications to C-reactive protein in Diabetes Mellitus (V 1.0)
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Are modified forms of C-reactive protein present in the serum of diabetic patients with elevated CRP levels?
IRAS ID
211529
Contact name
Sameer Mahmood
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Keele University
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 3 months, 2 days
Research summary
C-Reactive protein (CRP) is a plasma protein whose concentration increases rapidly and dramatically in response to infection, inflammation or tissue damage. CRP, composed of five tightly arranged subunits in a ring-shaped pentameric structure (pCRP), binds to microbial antigens and damaged cells in order to provide an immune response.
There is evidence to suggest that modified forms of CRP, including monomeric CRP (mCRP) and glycated CRP (gCRP), with different structure, function and physiological roles to pCRP could be found in serum. The dissociation of pCRP to mCRP has been linked with pro-inflammatory processes and the progression of several diseases while the role and outcomes of CRP glycation remain unknown. The aim of this study is to seek, then quantify, modified CRP in the serum of diabetes mellitus (DM) patients with elevated CRP levels with a view to assessing not only the relationship between pCRP, mCRP and gCRP in DM but also the implications for standard CRP assays.
The serum samples utilised in our study will be obtained from 40 diabetic patients with markedly raised levels of CRP (>100mg/L). These samples will not be taken specifically for our study but will be the unused serum from blood samples taken from inpatients that require CRP monitoring as part of their routine clinical care. Both type I and type II diabetes patients will be recruited as the aetiology is different and the presence and abundance of modified forms may also differ between the two.
CRP will be separated out from human serum. The glycated form and the site(s) of glycation will be detected utilising mass spectrometry. The monomeric form of the protein will be purified from serum then characterised using our established procedures based on chromatography, ELISA and western blot. Relationships between clinical condition and modified and clinically assayed CRP levels will be investigated.REC name
West Midlands - Edgbaston Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
17/WM/0150
Date of REC Opinion
21 Apr 2017
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion