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The importance of calprotectin for differentiating organic inflammatory disease and avoiding unnecessary procedures
Ruth García Romero1, Marta López Ubeda1, Lidia Cardiel Valiente1
1Department of Paediatric Gastroenterology, Miguel Servet University Hospital, Paseo Isabel La Católica, 1-3, 50009, Zaragoza, Spain.
Insights
Faecal calprotectin effectively distinguishes functional and organic intestinal diseases in children. Elevated levels correlate with inflammation markers, aiding in non-invasive diagnosis and avoiding unnecessary procedures for paediatric patients.
Area of Science:
- Gastroenterology
- Clinical Diagnostics
- Paediatric Medicine
Background:
- Intestinal diseases in children present diagnostic challenges.
- Differentiating functional from organic conditions is crucial for appropriate management.
- Faecal calprotectin is a potential biomarker for intestinal inflammation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess faecal calprotectin's ability to differentiate functional and organic intestinal diseases in paediatric patients.
- To evaluate the correlation between inflammatory markers and faecal calprotectin levels.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of clinical data from 129 paediatric patients.
- Quantitative immunoassay for faecal calprotectin determination.
- Classification of patients into functional, organic non-IBD, and organic IBD groups.
Main Results:
- Significant differences in faecal calprotectin levels were observed across all three patient groups.
- Positive correlations found between high calprotectin and erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein, and platelet count.
- Inverse correlations noted between high calprotectin and transferrin saturation, albumin, and haemoglobin levels.
Conclusions:
- Faecal calprotectin serves as a valuable complementary tool in paediatric clinical practice.
- It aids in discriminating between functional and organic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
- Calprotectin levels can help avoid unnecessary invasive procedures in children.
Background And Objective:
The objective of the study was to determine the ability of faecal calprotectin to differentiate functional and organic intestinal diseases in paediatric patients, and to evaluate the correlation between inflammatory parameters and levels of faecal calprotectin.
Patients And Methods:
This retrospective study involved clinical data from 129 paediatric patients with symptoms of intestinal pathology. Faecal calprotectin was determined by quantitative immunoassay. Patients were classified into three groups: functional (32.8% of patients); organic non-inflammatory bowel disease (IBD, 53.9%); and organic IBD (13.3%).
Results:
Calprotectin levels were significantly different among the three groups; between patients with IBD and the others, and also between patients with non-organic IBD and functional. Positive associations were found between high levels of calprotectin and higher erythrocyte sedimentation rate (rho=0.497), C-reactive protein (rho=0.460), and platelet count (rho=0.232). Nevertheless, an inverse correlation was found between high levels of calprotectin and transferrin saturation (rho=-0.310), albumin (rho=-0.412), and haemoglobin levels (rho=-0.309).
Discussion:
Determination of faecal calprotectin is a complementary tool in clinical practice for discriminating between functional and organic IBD, avoiding, according to the levels of calprotectin, unnecessary invasive procedures in paediatric patients.
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