Serum amyloid A is an acute phase protein that can be elevated about 8 hours after an infection occurs in the body. Therefore, a high serum amyloid A is indicative of an infectious disease, such as a bacterial, viral, mycoplasma or chlamydial infection.
Serum amyloid A can be elevated when a number of pathogens, such as bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, etc.), viruses (rhinoviruses, respiratory syncytial viruses, influenza viruses, etc.), mycoplasma, or chlamydia, infect the body. However, the degree of serum amyloid A elevation varies among infections caused by different pathogens.
When bacteria, mycoplasma and chlamydia infect the human body, serum amyloid A, C-reactive protein and procalcitonin are often synchronized with the increase in white blood cells and neutrophil counts, the more serious the infection, the more pronounced the increase in these indicators.
The more severe the infection, the more pronounced the increase in these markers. When a viral infection occurs in humans, serum amyloid A is more pronounced, but C-reactive protein may be mildly elevated, calcitonin may be mildly elevated or normal, and neutrophil counts are mostly normal, while white blood cell and lymphocyte counts may be mildly elevated or lowered.
Patients need to seek prompt medical attention to identify the specific cause of the disease and then provide targeted treatment.