A simple method for assessing intestinal inflammation in Crohn's disease

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Clinical diagnostics
• Inflammatory markers

Background:

• Assessing intestinal inflammation objectively is challenging in gastroenterology.
• Faecal calprotectin, a stable neutrophil marker, can indicate intestinal inflammation.
• Its utility as a screening tool to differentiate Crohn's disease from irritable bowel syndrome requires evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess faecal calprotectin as an index of intestinal inflammation.
• To evaluate its potential as a screening test for distinguishing Crohn's disease from irritable bowel syndrome.

Main Methods:

• Assessed faecal calprotectin validity against (111)indium white cell excretion in 22 Crohn's disease patients.
• Conducted a cross-sectional study on 116 patients to determine sensitivity for Crohn's disease detection.
• Performed a prospective study on 220 patients to assess discrimination between Crohn's disease and irritable bowel syndrome.

Main Results:

• Faecal calprotectin levels correlated significantly with (111)indium white cell excretion in Crohn's disease patients (p<0.0001).
• Faecal calprotectin showed 96% sensitivity in detecting Crohn's disease compared to normal subjects.
• A cut-off of 30 mg/l demonstrated 100% sensitivity and 97% specificity in differentiating active Crohn's disease from irritable bowel syndrome.

Conclusions:

• Faecal calprotectin is a valid marker for intestinal inflammation.
• The faecal calprotectin test is a useful adjuvant for discriminating between Crohn's disease and irritable bowel syndrome.