What is the Difference Between Positive and Negative Acute Phase Proteins?

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Positive and negative acute phase proteins (APPs) are two types of proteins that exhibit opposite responses to inflammation. The main differences between them are:

  1. Positive APPs: These proteins increase in concentration in the blood plasma during inflammation. Examples include C-reactive protein, mannose-binding protein, alpha 1 antitrypsin, and haptoglobin. They are involved in optimizing and activating the complement system, binding cellular remnants, neutralizing enzymes, scavenging free hemoglobin and radicals, and modulating the host's immune response.
  2. Negative APPs: These proteins decrease in concentration in the blood plasma during inflammation. Examples include albumin, transferrin, transthyretin, and ceruloplasmin. The primary role of decreased concentrations of these proteins is to save amino acids for other essential functions during inflammation.

Both positive and negative APPs play crucial roles in the acute-phase response, which is a characteristic of the host's reaction to infection, inflammation, or trauma. Understanding the functions and patterns of these proteins can be helpful in diagnosing and monitoring various diseases.

Comparative Table: Positive vs Negative Acute Phase Proteins

Positive and negative acute phase proteins are two different types of acute phase proteins that change their concentrations in the blood plasma in response to inflammation. Here is a table summarizing their differences:

Feature Positive Acute Phase Proteins Negative Acute Phase Proteins
Definition A class of proteins whose concentrations in the blood plasma increase in response to inflammation. A class of proteins whose concentrations in the blood plasma decrease in response to inflammation.
Examples C-reactive protein (CRP), Serum Amyloid A (SAA), Haptoglobin (Hp), α2-Macroglobulin, α1-Acid glycoprotein (AGP), Fibrinogen, Complement (C3, C4). Albumin, Transferrin, Transthyretin, Retinol-binding protein, Ceruloplasmin.
Function Positive acute phase proteins play a role in optimizing and activating the complement system, binding cellular remnants, neutralizing enzymes, scavenging free hemoglobin and radicals, and modulating the host's immune response. The physiological role of decreased concentrations of negative acute phase proteins is generally to save amino acids for the synthesis of positive acute phase proteins.
Production Increased production of positive acute phase proteins is a sensitive indicator of inflammation. Decreased production of negative acute phase proteins can be multifactorial, including decreased production by the liver, increased loss, or increased proteolysis.

Positive acute phase proteins are used as diagnostic tools for various diseases, as they can help monitor animal health and identify the presence of inflammation.