CRP and infection: These values are in contrast to those observed during acute activation of CRP in response to infection or inflammatory disease, when CRP levels are > 10 mg/l and can become > 500 mg/l (21), although such extreme elevations in CRP levels are most likely as a result of infection (e.g. 88% of patients in a study of 130 patients with CRP > 500 mg/l (22)).