EVALUATION OF C-REACTIVE PROTIEN (CRP) AS A BIOMARKER OF TREATMENT RESPONSE AMONG PULMONARY TUBERCULOSIS PATIENTS ATTENDING SPECIALIST HOSPITAL, SOKOTO

Abstract

C-reactive protein (CRP) is a widely used biomarker of inflammation, with potential utility in monitoring treatment response in Pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB). Despite its recognized role in infectious diseases, there remains limited evidence on its specific application for evaluating treatment outcomes among GeneXpert-confirmed PTB patients in resource-limited settings like sokoto state. This study investigated the effect of tuberculosis on serum CRP levels and its association with disease severity in PTB patients at Specialist Hospital, Sokoto. Serum CRP levels were measured in 75 PTB patients and compared with 75 healthy controls using ELISA. Disease severity was assessed by weight loss, and diagnostic performance was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. The findings revealed significantly higher mean CRP levels in PTB patients (1.80 ± 0.74 mg/dL) compared to controls (1.17 ± 0.22 mg/dL) (p < 0.0001). A significant negative correlation was observed between CRP levels and weight loss (r = -0.370, p < 0.0001), indicating an association with disease severity. ROC analysis demonstrated moderate diagnostic accuracy (AUC = 0.789, p < 0.0001). Overall, the study provides evidence for the utility of serum CRP as a biomarker of treatment response and disease severity in PTB, highlighting the importance of its integration into routine TB management protocols. These findings contribute to ongoing efforts to validate laboratory markers for TB monitoring and provide a foundation for further research on their clinical application and patient outcomes