Inflammation Biomarkers
CRP, ESR, Ferritin, Fibrinogen, Uric Acid, CBC, Iron
$90.00
This is a broad-based, low-cost panel of inflammation markers.
These tests are frequently ordered as an inflammation / wellness panel because they complement each other:
Acute inflammation → CRP rises fastest.
Chronic inflammation → ESR and Ferritin are helpful.
Cardiovascular / metabolic risk → hs-CRP, Fibrinogen, Uric Acid.
Overall picture → CBC + Ferritin helps explain anemia or hidden issues.
Important Note: These are non-specific markers. Elevated results show something is going on (inflammation, infection, autoimmune process, etc.) but don’t usually pinpoint the exact cause. They must be interpreted with symptoms, history, and other tests. Gut health and chronic infection markers should be obtained if these inflammatory and immune markers are out or optimal ranges.
1. CRP (C-Reactive Protein)
What it measures: A protein made by the liver in response to inflammation.
Main insights:
Detects acute and chronic inflammation.
Rises quickly (within 4–6 hours) and falls quickly → good for monitoring active inflammation or infections.
hs-CRP (high-sensitivity version) is used to assess low-grade chronic inflammation and cardiovascular risk.
High levels may indicate: Infections, autoimmune diseases (RA, lupus), heart disease risk, obesity, or tissue injury.
Optimal range: < 0.6 mg/L.
2. ESR (Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate / Sed Rate)
What it measures: How quickly red blood cells settle in a tube over 1 hour (influenced by inflammatory proteins like fibrinogen). It is arguably the single most important biomarker because it measures the endpoint of everything you do to be healthy - the food you eat, the sunshine you get, and the exercise you perform. Every cell is a tiny battery and the ESR gives you an approximation of the quality of the voltage and current of your cellular batteries.
Main insights:
It is a surrogate for the electrical charge on ALL 35 trillion cells in your body.
General, non-specific marker of inflammation.
Slower to rise and fall than CRP → better for monitoring chronic inflammation.
High levels may indicate: Autoimmune diseases, infections, giant cell arteritis, polymyalgia rheumatica, or certain cancers.
Optimal range : <3 mm/hr
3. Ferritin
What it measures: The main storage form of iron in the body.
Main insights:
Low = Iron deficiency (common cause of anemia and fatigue).
High = Inflammation (it’s an acute-phase reactant), infection, liver disease, or iron overload (hemochromatosis).
Very useful because it serves dual purposes (iron status + inflammation).
High ferritin and low iron is an indicator of chronic infection often called "anemia of chronic disease."
Optimal range : <40-80 mg/dL
4. Fibrinogen
What it measures: A protein involved in blood clotting and an acute-phase reactant.
Main insights:
Elevated in inflammation and cardiovascular risk.
High levels increase blood viscosity and clotting tendency.
IT IS THE BEST MEASURE OF DAMAGE, REPAIR, AND CLOTTING IN ANY/ALL VESSELS IN YOUR BODY.
High levels may indicate: Chronic inflammation, heart disease risk, or acute infection/trauma.
Optimal range: 180-280 mg/dL.
5. Uric Acid
What it measures: A waste product from the breakdown of purines (from food and cell turnover).
Main insights:
High levels linked to gout, kidney stones, and metabolic syndrome.
Also associated with cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and kidney disease.
It is an underappreciated marker for diabetes risk and chronic inflammation.
Optimal range: 3 - 5.5 mg/dL (some variation for age & gender)
High levels may indicate: Gout flares, dehydration, high-purine diet, alcohol use, diabetes, inflammation, or reduced kidney function.
6. CBC (Complete Blood Count)
What it measures: Overall blood cell picture (red cells, white cells, platelets, hemoglobin, etc.).
Key insights:
White Blood Cells (WBC): Infection, inflammation, stress, or blood disorders.
Hemoglobin / Hematocrit / RBC: Anemia (iron deficiency, B12/folate deficiency, chronic disease).
Platelets: Inflammation, bleeding disorders, or bone marrow issues.
Differential (neutrophils, lymphocytes, etc.): Helps distinguish bacterial vs. viral infections or allergies.
NLR (Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio): Emerging marker of systemic inflammation and stress.
Blood iron levels (particularly Ferritin) are used as an inflammation marker because of a clever defense mechanism of the body called the “nutritional immunity” response. It is also referred to as anemia of chronic inflammation or anemia of chronic disease.
How Iron Becomes an Inflammation Marker
During inflammation or infection, your immune system deliberately changes iron metabolism:
Ferritin rises sharply
Ferritin is the protein that stores iron inside cells.
Inflammatory cytokines (especially IL-6) signal the liver to produce more ferritin.
This is part of the acute phase response (same system that raises CRP). But it also happens in response to low-grade chronic infections.
Purpose of raising ferritin
Bacteria, viruses, and some cancer cells need iron to multiply.
By increasing ferritin, the body locks iron away in storage, making it less available in the bloodstream. This starves invading pathogens.
Serum iron falls
At the same time, serum (circulating) iron levels usually drop significantly.
This is called hypoferremia of inflammation.
In COVID infection, many people experienced severe hypoxia which was interpreted as the "virus" attacking and killing red blood cells. This was NOT what happened. Instead, the body detected the infection (or something that appeared to the body to be an infection) and dramatically elevated ferritin while lowering iron, thus reducing the ability of red blood cells to carry oxygen.