CRP and atherosclerosis: Considering all the properties of all forms of CRP, it can be said that CRP possesses the functionality of a host defense molecule against not only atherosclerosis but against all diseases caused by proteins when proteins behave like a pathogen or a toxic molecule, in a life cycle that begins as free CRP in circulation and ends in ligand-bound mCRP at sites of inflammation via an intermediate stage of non-native pentamers.