Correlation Between C-Reactive Protein and Syphilis Titers in Blood Donors at Hayatabad Medical Complex, Peshawar

Abstract

Background: Syphilis, caused by Treponema pallidum, remains a major public-health challenge in low- and middle-income countries despite effective antibiotic therapy. C-reactive protein (CRP), an acute-phase reactant synthesized by hepatocytes in response to pro-inflammatory cytokines, may reflect the systemic inflammatory response during infection, but its clinical correlation with syphilis remains poorly understood. Objective: To determine the association between serum CRP levels and syphilis titters among blood donors at Hayatabad Medical Complex, Peshawar. Methods: A descriptive analytical cross-sectional study was conducted from July to December 2024 on 90 syphilis-positive blood donors aged 18–60 years. Syphilis titers were measured using the Abbott Architect Syphilis TP chemiluminescent immunoassay, and CRP was quantified via the Roche Cobas 6000 immunoturbidimetric analyzer (> 0.5 mg/dL positive threshold). Hematological parameters were analyzed on a Sysmex XN-1000 system. Statistical analyses used Pearson’s correlation and independent t-tests with significance at p < 0.05. Results: Thirty-five donors (38.9 %) showed elevated CRP. A weak but significant positive correlation was found between CRP and syphilis titers (r = 0.336, 95 % CI 0.14–0.51, p = 0.001). Eosinophil counts were significantly reduced (p = 0.019) compared with reference values. Conclusion: Elevated CRP reflects low-grade systemic inflammation in syphilis-positive donors. Although non-specific, CRP may serve as a supplementary biomarker for monitoring inflammatory activity and guiding disease management.