CRP and infection: Severe infections often induce an initial acute phase reaction, i.e., a reaction mediated by proinflammatory cytokines and characterized by altered systemic levels of various acute phase proteins (e.g., increased C-reactive protein (CRP) levels, decreased albumin levels) due to the effects of inflammation on distant organs, especially the liver where many of these proteins are synthesized but also their local release at inflammatory sites [16,17].