Response of the acute‐phase reactants, C‐reactive protein and serum amyloid a protein, to antibiotic treatment of Whipple's disease

In order to study the effect of antibiotics on the course of Whipple's disease, the authors prospectively evaluated the response of the acute-phase reactants, C-reactive protein (CRP) and serum amyloid A protein (SAA), to treatment with penicillin. Upon initiation of treatment, the Jarisch-Herxheimer reaction occurred; serum levels of CRP and SAA rose abruptly, then returned to pretreatment values within several days. The serum CRP and SAA levels fell virtually to normal within 2 weeks, while clinical symptoms and signs resolved slowly over a period of 6 months.