Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 21, 2025
Investigating Intestinal Inflammation in DSS-induced Model of IBD
Published on: February 1, 2012
Assessing the correlation between fecal calprotectin, blood markers and disease activity in pediatric inflammatory
Jack L Plume1, Anita De1, Mohamed Mutalib1,2
1Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London (Jack L. Plume, Anita De, Mohamed Mutalib).
Insights
Fecal calprotectin (FC) accurately measures pediatric inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) activity. This non-invasive test correlates well with clinical indices and blood markers across all IBD types and phenotypes.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Gastroenterology
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease Research
- Biomarker Discovery
Background:
- Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), encompassing Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), requires ongoing monitoring.
- Current IBD management involves invasive procedures and blood tests.
- Fecal calprotectin (FC) offers a non-invasive method to assess gastrointestinal inflammation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the correlation between fecal calprotectin (FC) and established disease activity indices in pediatric IBD.
- To assess the relationship between FC, IBD activity indices, and common blood markers in children with IBD.
- To determine if FC can serve as a reliable non-invasive marker for monitoring pediatric IBD.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of electronic patient records from 2015-2021.
- Quantification of CD and UC activity using the Pediatric CD Activity Index (PCDAI) and Pediatric UC Activity Index (PUCAI).
- Inclusion of 208 pediatric patients (115 CD, 93 UC) and analysis using the Paris classification for phenotypes.
Main Results:
- A significant positive correlation was observed between FC and PCDAI (rs=0.546, P<0.001) and between FC and PUCAI (rs=0.485, P<0.001).
- FC and activity indices showed positive correlations with inflammatory markers and platelets, and negative correlations with albumin and hemoglobin.
- FC demonstrated a positive correlation with PCDAI across all CD phenotypes, including isolated ileal disease.
Conclusions:
- Fecal calprotectin (FC) is a valuable non-invasive tool for assessing disease activity in pediatric IBD.
- FC correlates positively with clinical disease activity indices and blood inflammatory markers in children with CD and UC.
- FC provides an accurate and non-invasive measure of disease activity across various pediatric IBD phenotypes.
Background:
Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) are the 2 main types of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), a chronic inflammatory condition of the gastrointestinal tract. Management of IBD necessitates frequent clinical monitoring, including blood tests and occasionally endoscopy. Fecal calprotectin (FC) is a non-invasive measurement of luminal inflammatory activity, and can therefore be used as a useful monitoring tool. This study aimed to assess the relationship between FC, IBD activity indices and the commonly used blood markers in pediatric IBD.
Methods:
Electronic patient records were accessed to retrospectively collect patient data from a tertiary pediatric hospital from 2015-2021. CD and UC disease activity was quantified using the Pediatric CD Activity Index (PCDAI) and Pediatric UC Activity Index (PUCAI), respectively. The Paris classification was used for phenotype identification.
Results:
A total of 208 patients were included in the study, 115 with CD (18% <10 years and 82% 10-17 years) and 93 with UC (32% <10 years and 68% 10-17 years). There was a positive correlation between FC and PCDAI (rs=0.546, P<0.001) and between FC and PUCAI (rs=0.485, P<0.001). FC and activity indices were correlated positively with inflammatory markers/platelets and negatively with albumin and hemoglobin. FC correlated positively with PCDAI in all CD phenotypes, including isolated ileal disease.
Conclusion:
In pediatric IBD, FC shows a positive correlation with the clinical picture and blood markers in all disease phenotypes, and can provide an accurate non-invasive measure of disease activity.
More Related Videos
09:11Systematic Scoring Analysis for Intestinal Inflammation in a Murine Dextran Sodium Sulfate-Induced Colitis Model
Published on: February 14, 2021
15:49Flexible Colonoscopy in Mice to Evaluate the Severity of Colitis and Colorectal Tumors Using a Validated Endoscopic Scoring System
Published on: October 16, 2013
Related Concept Videos
01:30Inflammatory Bowel Disease III: Diagnostic Studies and Management I-Nutritional Therapy
Diagnostic studies
A colonoscopy is the definitive screening test, distinguishing ulcerative colitis from other colon diseases with similar symptoms. During a colonoscopy test, inflamed mucosa with exudate ulcerations can be observed, and biopsies are taken to determine the histologic characteristics of the...
01:27Inflammatory Bowel Disease I: Ulcerative Colitis
Inflammatory bowel disease, or IBD, encompasses a group of disorders characterized by chronic inflammation or ulceration of the gastrointestinal tract.
Risk Factors
The exact cause of IBD remains unclear, although it is believed to be due to a mix of genetic, environmental, microbial, and immune factors. Genetic factors are significant in determining susceptibility to IBD, with family history being a critical risk factor. Individuals with a first-degree relative who has IBD are at...
01:30Inflammatory Bowel Disease II: Crohn's Disease
Inflammatory bowel disease, commonly known as IBD, refers to a collection of disorders that lead to persistent inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. The two types of IBD are ulcerative colitis, which impacts the colon, and Crohn's disease, which can involve any part of the gastrointestinal segment.
Crohn's disease
Crohn's disease is a chronic, systemic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that predominantly affects the gastrointestinal tract. It is marked by...
01:17Chronic Bowel Disorders: Introduction
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a common disorder affecting the gastrointestinal tract. The distinctive feature is recurrent abdominal pain associated with altered bowel movements, manifesting as constipation, diarrhea, or fluctuating between both. The...
01:30Serum Laboratory Studies, Stool Test, Breath Test
01:24Drugs for Treatment of Crohn's Disease in IBD Using Biologic Agents: Anti-TNF