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[Pediatrics. Fecal calprotectin in children: use and interpretation]
1Unité de gastroentérologie et nutrition pédiatriques, Département médico-chirurgical de pédiatrie, CHUV, 1011 Lausanne.
Insights
Fecal calprotectin is a non-invasive biomarker for gastro-intestinal inflammation. Elevated levels can help differentiate functional disorders from inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and monitor IBD treatment.
Area of Science:
- Gastroenterology
- Biomarker Discovery
- Clinical Diagnostics
Context:
- Fecal calprotectin is a protein released by neutrophils, serving as a key indicator of gastro-intestinal inflammation.
- Normal fecal calprotectin levels differ significantly across age groups, with higher thresholds in infants and children compared to adults.
- Recurrent abdominal pain evaluation benefits from fecal calprotectin testing to differentiate functional disorders from inflammatory conditions.
Purpose:
- To highlight fecal calprotectin as a reliable, non-invasive biomarker for gastro-intestinal inflammation.
- To establish age-specific normal values for fecal calprotectin.
- To assess the utility of fecal calprotectin in distinguishing functional gastro-intestinal disorders from inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
Summary:
- Fecal calprotectin is a neutrophil-derived protein that reliably indicates gastro-intestinal inflammation.
- Age-adjusted cut-off values are crucial for interpreting fecal calprotectin results.
- This biomarker aids in differentiating functional abdominal pain from IBD and monitoring therapeutic responses in IBD patients.
Impact:
- Facilitates non-invasive diagnosis and management of gastro-intestinal inflammatory conditions.
- Improves diagnostic accuracy in patients presenting with recurrent abdominal pain.
- Provides a valuable tool for monitoring treatment efficacy in inflammatory bowel disease.
Abstract:
Fecal calprotectin is a small protein released mainly by neutrophils. It is recognized as a reliable, easy and non-invasive biomarker of gastro-intestinal inflammation. Normal values vary with age, with higher cut-off values during the first year of life (<350 microg/g) than in children (<275 microg/g) or adults (<50 microg/g). Fecal calprotectin can be a useful tool in initial evaluation of recurrent abdominal pain, helping to distinguish between functional gastro-intestinal disorders, where it is normal, and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). It is not a specific marker of IBD but is increased in other situations of gastro-intestinal inflammation. In patients with IBD, fecal calprotectin is used to monitor treatment response.
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