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Updated: Feb 26, 2026
Expression, Purification, and Antimicrobial Activity of S100A12
Published on: May 13, 2017
Reference values of fecal calgranulin C (S100A12) in school aged children and adolescents
Insights
Fecal S100A12 is a promising new marker for diagnosing inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in children. This study established reference values and showed significantly higher S100A12 levels in children with IBD compared to healthy controls.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Gastroenterology
- Biomarker Research
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease Diagnostics
Background:
- Calgranulin C (S100A12) is an emerging inflammation marker exclusively released by neutrophils.
- S100A12 may offer greater specificity for Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) than current fecal markers like calprotectin and lactoferrin.
- Establishing reference values in healthy children is crucial for diagnostic utility.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the reference value for fecal S100A12 in healthy children aged 5-19 years.
- To investigate the potential of S100A12 in differentiating children with IBD from healthy controls.
- To evaluate S100A12 as a diagnostic marker for pediatric IBD.
Main Methods:
- A prospective study collected 122 stool samples from healthy children and 41 from children with confirmed IBD.
- Fecal S100A12 levels were quantified using a sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).
- The study established an upper reference limit and evaluated diagnostic performance using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis.
Main Results:
- The upper reference limit for S100A12 in healthy children was determined to be 0.75 μg/g.
- Median S100A12 levels were significantly elevated in children with IBD (8.00 μg/g) compared to healthy controls (0.22 μg/g; p<0.001).
- An optimal cutoff of 0.33 μg/g demonstrated high diagnostic accuracy (sensitivity 93%, specificity 97%).
Conclusions:
- Newly diagnosed pediatric IBD patients exhibit significantly higher fecal S100A12 levels than healthy individuals.
- Fecal S100A12 shows considerable diagnostic promise for pediatric IBD under controlled testing conditions.
- Further research is needed to compare S100A12 with existing markers and validate its use in diverse clinical settings.
Background:
Calgranulin C (S100A12) is an emerging marker of inflammation. It is exclusively released by activated neutrophils which makes this marker potentially more specific for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) compared to established stool markers including calprotectin and lactoferrin. We aimed to establish a reference value for S100A12 in healthy children and investigated whether S100A12 levels can discriminate children with IBD from healthy controls.
Methods:
In a prospective community-based reference interval study we collected 122 stool samples from healthy children aged 5-19 years. Additionally, feces samples of 41 children with suspected IBD (who were later confirmed by endoscopy to have IBD) were collected. Levels of S100A12 were measured with a sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) (Inflamark®). The limit of detection was 0.22 μg/g.
Results:
The upper reference limit in healthy children was 0.75 μg/g (90% confidence interval: 0.30-1.40). Median S100A12 levels were significantly higher in patients with IBD (8.00 μg/g [interquartile range (IQR) 2.5-11.6] compared to healthy controls [0.22 μg/g (IQR<0.22); p<0.001]). The best cutoff point based on receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.33 μg/g (sensitivity 93%; specificity 97%).
Conclusions:
Children and teenagers with newly diagnosed IBD have significantly higher S100A12 results compared to healthy individuals. We demonstrate that fecal S100A12 shows diagnostic promise under ideal testing conditions. Future studies need to address whether S100A12 can discriminate children with IBD from non-organic disease in a prospective cohort with chronic gastrointestinal complaints, and how S100A12 performs in comparison with established stool markers.
