Recognition that a delay of at least several hours is intrinsic to the cascade of events leading to elevation of serum CRP levels (including activation of neutrophils, elaboration of interleukin-6 (IL-6), and induction of hepatic synthesis of CRP) [45] led to appropriate criticism of this test as having insufficient sensitivity to guide therapy either by reliably diagnosing or excluding bacterial infection [45]. This evidence concerns the gene CRP and bacterial infectious disease.