põletikumarkerite

Põletikumarkerid are substances in the blood or other bodily fluids that indicate the presence and severity of inflammation within the body. They are typically proteins or cells whose levels change in response to inflammatory processes. Measuring these markers can help diagnose inflammatory conditions, monitor disease progression, and assess the effectiveness of treatment.

Commonly used põletikumarkerid include C-reactive protein (CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and white blood cell count (WBC). CRP is a protein produced by the liver, and its levels rise significantly when inflammation is present. ESR measures how quickly red blood cells settle at the bottom of a test tube; a faster rate suggests inflammation. An elevated WBC count, particularly of certain types of white blood cells like neutrophils, can also signal an inflammatory response, often due to infection.

Other inflammatory markers exist, such as procalcitonin, which is more specific for bacterial infections, and various cytokines like interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), which play key roles in the inflammatory cascade. The choice of which marker to measure depends on the suspected condition and the clinical context. Elevated levels of these markers do not pinpoint a specific disease but rather indicate that an inflammatory process is occurring, requiring further investigation to determine the underlying cause.