Role of the C-reactive protein for the diagnosis of TB among military personnel in South Korea

Clinicians are frequently faced with the task of differentiating between pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) and pneumonia. We evaluated the role of the C-reactive protein test (CRP) for differentiating between TB and pneumonia among military personnel in South Korea. Only immunocompetent males were eligible. Forty-six patients with PTB and 67 with pneumonia were enrolled prospectively. Median CRP concentration was lower in patients with TB than in patients with non-tuberculous pneumonia (3.2 mg/dl [range 0.1-15.7 mg/dl] vs. 8.3 mg/dl [range 0.2-33.7 mg/dl], P < 0.001). The sensitivity and specificity for TB of a low CRP concentration (<11.2 mg/dl) in serum was 93.3% and 40.9%, respectively. CRP concentration measurement might be useful for eliminating the diagnosis of TB.