Inflammation is accompanied by a variety of physiological and biochemical changes
which are collectively called the acute phase response. As part of this response, hepatic
synthesis of approximately 30 plasma proteins changes: these are the acute phase
proteins. Some of these proteins are produced in increased amounts, i.e. positive, while
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the production of other proteins is diminished, i.e. the negative acute phase proteins.
Given these bidirectional effects, it is not surprising that measurements of plasma total
protein and globulin often fail to detect changes due to inflammation