Calprotectin or Lactoferrin: Do They Help

The diagnosis and monitoring of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has traditionally relied on clinical assessment, serum markers of inflammation and endoscopic examination. Fecal biomarkers such as calprotectin (FC) and lactoferrin (FL) are predominantly derived from neutrophils, are easily detectable in the feces and are now established as valuable markers of intestinal inflammation. In recent years, a 'treat to target' concept has emerged for the management of IBD. Adequate control of inflammation in IBD at a biochemical level is quickly becoming an important target in IBD management.

Fecal biomarkers have been shown to be significantly and consistently increased in both adult and pediatric patients with IBD versus those without IBD. Fecal biomarkers are therefore useful in determining those patients with gastrointestinal symptoms who are likely to benefit from colonoscopy versus those in whom colonoscopy is likely to be normal. Fecal biomarkers correlate significantly with endoscopic disease in both Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Suggested cutoffs for FC for endoscopically active disease in IBD range from 50 to 280 μg/g. Fecal biomarkers reflect the success of treatment intensification and can help predict clinical relapse. Both FC and FL are accurate in the detection of postoperative endoscopic recurrence of Crohn's disease, and FC may be clinically useful in predicting those patients with acute severe ulcerative colitis who may progress to colectomy. There are limitations to these fecal tests including a false positive rate and intra-individual variability.

This review focuses on the role of fecal biomarkers in the diagnosis, monitoring and management of IBD and how best to interpret results. We will discuss the emerging role of these biomarkers in the IBD management landscape including FC-guided drug dosing and the development of home-based testing and e-health applications. Fecal biomarker results must always be interpreted in a clinical context. Endoscopic assessment remains the gold standard for diagnosis and monitoring of IBD.