Comparison of the usefulness of ESR and CRP in HIV indeterminate and infected children

Erythrocyte sedimentation rate(ESR) and C-reactive protcin(CRP) are useful in evaluating normal children for inflammatory or infectious processes. To evaluate the usefulness of these indicators in H1V exposed or infected children, we evaluated 62 patients cared for in our HIV center. All evaluated patients had ESR, CRP and IgG drawn during clinic visits or hospitalizations. The patients1 infection status was as follow: lndeterminate(CDC classification E):29 pts(47%), and infected 33 pis [CDC classification: N:2 pts(3%), A: 13 pcs(2I%), B:13 pts(21%), C:5 pis(8%)]-Twenty-four patients had elevated ESR, 23 of them are infected. All 23 patients had elevated IgG's. CRP was normal in all of them except in 7 patients who had an acute illness at the time of the evaluation. One indeterminate patient hid elevated ESR, IgG and normal CRP. The remaining 10 infected patients who had normal ESR also had normal CRP. Of the 29 indeterminate children, 28 had normal ESR, and 26(93%) had normal IgG's. Our study suggests mat ESR b not useful in the evaluation of an acute infection in HIV infected population due to the presence of an elevated IgG, while CRP seems to be more specific and reliable during an acute infectious process.