Usefulness of Testing for Fecal Calprotectin in Pediatric Gastroenterology Clinical Practice
Eliza Lężyk-Ciemniak1, Magdalena Tworkiewicz1, Dominika Wilczyńska1
1Department of Pediatrics, Allergology and Gastroenterology Collegium Medicum Bydgoszcz, NCU Toruń, Bydgoszcz, Poland.
Insights
Fecal calprotectin (FC) is a valuable noninvasive biomarker for diagnosing and monitoring pediatric inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). Its use in primary care can reduce unnecessary endoscopies and improve diagnostic timelines for children.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Gastroenterology
- Clinical Biomarkers
- Inflammatory Bowel Diseases
Background:
- Gastrointestinal symptoms are common in children, with rising rates of chronic diseases like inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD).
- Current diagnostic methods for IBD can be invasive and time-consuming.
- There is a need for noninvasive biomarkers to aid in IBD diagnosis and management in pediatric patients.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the current evidence on fecal calprotectin (FC) for diagnosing and monitoring IBD in children.
- To explore the role of FC in clinical decision-making and patient management.
- To assess the utility of FC as a noninvasive marker for intestinal inflammation.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of studies on fecal calprotectin in pediatric IBD.
- Analysis of FC concentrations in relation to IBD diagnosis, activity, and treatment response.
- Evaluation of FC's impact on healthcare resource utilization, such as endoscopy referrals.
Main Results:
- Fecal calprotectin (FC) is a reliable noninvasive marker of intestinal inflammation in children.
- FC levels correlate with IBD activity, predict relapses, and help monitor treatment efficacy.
- Implementing FC testing in primary care can significantly reduce referrals for invasive procedures.
Conclusions:
- Fecal calprotectin is a crucial tool for the diagnosis and management of pediatric IBD.
- FC screening facilitates earlier diagnosis, reduces patient burden, and optimizes clinical decision-making.
- The application of FC testing streamlines the diagnostic pathway and improves patient outcomes.
Abstract:
Gastrointestinal tract symptoms such as abdominal pain, constipation, diarrhea, and fever are common reasons for which parents take children to the pediatrician. An increasing prevalence of chronic diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and a decrease in the median age of their onset indicate the need to search for new diagnostic methods for differentiating inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) from other gastrointestinal tract diseases. An example of a novel biomarker is fecal calprotectin (FC), which is considered a noninvasive and useful marker of intestinal inflammation. This review summarizes currently available information on the use of FC in the diagnosis and monitoring of IBD in children. Additionally, it attempts to determine the course of action depending on the concentration of FC. Application of FC determination within the framework of primary medical care can decrease the number of children unnecessarily referred either to endoscopic or radiologic examination. There is a double advantage of calprotectin screening; for patients, it reduces delays in diagnosis and unnecessary exposure to endoscopy, and for doctors, it reduces pressure on endoscopy testing and facilitates decision-making. We emphasize the role of FC as a noninvasive marker, primarily in patients with IBD, in monitoring disease activity, predicting relapse, monitoring therapy efficacy, and monitoring postoperative relapses.
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