Understanding of the stress response is important for the physician as it affects the results of laboratory tests. Hyperglycemia observed during stress should not be confused with diabetes mellitus. Stress such as injury, infection, or trauma is also associated with the acute phase response, in which a variety of proteins, such as α1-antitrypsin, C-reactive protein (CRP), haptoglobin, α1-acid glycoprotein, complement proteins, and others, are produced. The measurements of CRP are important in the monitoring of the progress of therapy in patients with severe infections and inflammatory disorders. (See Chapter 3.)
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