Displays several functions associated with host defense: it promotes agglutination, bacterial capsular swelling, phagocytosis and complement fixation through its calcium-dependent binding to phosphorylcholine. Can interact with DNA and histones and may scavenge nuclear material released from damaged circulating cells.
C-reactive protein (CRP) is synthesized by the liver in response to factors released by fat cells. It is a member of the pentraxin family of proteins. The levels of CRP rise in response to inflammation. Human C-reactive protein (CRP) is the classical acute phase reactant, the circulating concentration of which rises rapidly and extensively in a cytokine-mediated response to tissue injury, infection and inflammation. Serum CRP values are routinely measured, empirically, to detect and monitor many human diseases. However, CRP is likely to have important host defence, scavenging and metabolic functions through its capacity for calcium-dependent binding to exogenous and autologous molecules containing phosphocholine (PC) and then activating the classical complement pathway. CRP may also have pathogenic effects and the recent discovery of a prognostic association between increased CRP production and coronary atherothrombotic events is of particular interest.
M-CSFR encoded by the proto-oncogene c-fms is the receptor for colony stimulating factor 1 (CSF1R), a cytokine involved in the proliferation, differentiation, and activation of macrophages. This cell surface glycoprotein is consisted by an extracellular ligand-binding domain, a single membrane-spanning segment, and an intracellular tyrosine kinase domain. Binding of CSF1 activates the receptor kinase, leading to "autophosphorylation" of receptor subunits and the concomitant phosphorylation of a series of cellular proteins on tyrosine residues. CSF1R is a tyrosine kinase receptor that is absolutely required for macrophage differentiation and thus occupies a central role in hematopoiesis. CSF1 and its receptor (CSF1R, product of c-fms proto-oncogene) were initially implicated as essential for normal monocyte development as well as for trophoblastic implantation. This apparent role for CSF1/CSF1R in normal mammary gland development is very intriguing because this receptor/ligand pair has also been found to be important in the biology of breast cancer in which abnormal expression of CSF1 and its receptor correlates with tumor cell invasiveness and adverse clinical prognosis. Tumor cell expression of CSF1R is under the control of several steroid hormones (glucocorticoids and progestins) and the binding of several bHLH transcription factors, while tumor cell expression of CSF-1 appears to be regulated by other hormones, some of which are involved in normal lactogenic differentiation.
Cystatin C, also known as Cystatin-3 (CST3) is a secreted type 2 cysteine protease inhibitor synthesized in all nucleated cells, has been proposed as a replacement for serum creatinine for the assessment of renal function, particularly to detect small reductions in glomerular filtration rate. The mature, active form of human cystatin C is a single non-glycosylated polypeptide chain consisting of 120 amino acid residues, with a molecular mass of 13,343-13,359 Da, and containing four characteristic disulfide-paired cysteine residues. Cystatin C is a low-molecular-weight protein that has been proposed as a marker of renal function that could replace creatinine. Indeed, the concentration of Cystatin C is mainly determined by glomerular filtration and is particularly of interest in clinical settings where the relationship between creatinine production and muscle mass impairs the clinical performance of creatinine. Since the last decade, numerous studies have evaluated its potential use in measuring renal function in various populations. More recently, other potential developments for its clinical use have emerged. In almost all the clinical studies, Cystatin C demonstrated a better diagnostic accuracy than serum creatinine in discriminating normal from impaired kidney function, but controversial results have been obtained by comparing this protein with other indices of kidney disease, especially serum creatinine-based equations, such as early atherosclerosis, Alzheimer's dementia, vascular aneurysms, hyperhomocysteinaemia and other neurodegenerative diseases. Cystatin C could be a useful clinical tool to identify HIV-infected persons. In addition, its expression is up-regulated in malignance of certain tumor progression.
Collagen triple helix repeat-containing protein 1, also known as Protein NMTC1, and CTHRC1, is a secreted protein that is glycosylated and highly conserved from lower chordates to mammals. CTHRC1 expression was not detectable in normal arteries. However, it is transiently expressed in the arterial wall in response to injury where it may contribute to vascular remodeling by limiting collagen matrix deposition and promoting cell migration. A short collagen motif with 12 Gly-X-Y repeats appears to be responsible for trimerization of the CTHRC1 protein and this renders the molecule susceptible to cleavage by collagenase. CTHRC1 overexpression caused a dramatic reduction in collagen type I mRNA and protein levels. Currently available data indicate that Cthrc1 expression in vascular cells regulates transforming growth factor beta responsiveness, thereby impacting transforming growth factor beta target genes, including collagens. Additionally, CTHRC1 increases bone mass as a positive regulator of osteoblastic bone formation and offers an anabolic approach for the treatment of osteoporosis.
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