Diagnostic value of leucine-rich alpha-2-glycoprotein 1 and calprotectin in acute appendicitis: a short review

Acute abdominal pain accounts for 7-10% of all emergency department visits. Appendicitis, being one of the leading causes of acute abdominal surgery, poses significant diagnostic challenges. Negative appendectomy rates can be as high as 40%, while complications occur in more than 90% if the diagnosis is missed during the initial examination. Therefore, more effective preoperative screening is required for patients with suspected appendicitis. Recent studies suggest that novel biomarkers, particularly leucine-rich alpha 2-glycoprotein and calprotectin, may improve the early and accurate diagnosis of acute appendicitis by demonstrating high specificity and sensitivity, respectively. Unlike C-reactive protein, the production of leucine-rich alpha 2-glycoprotein 1 and calprotectin takes place at the site of inflammation. As a result, their raised concentrations might be evident early in a disease, possibly before other common markers of inflammation start to rise. This literature review aims to assess the potential role of leucine-rich alpha 2-glycoprotein 1 and calprotectin as diagnostic biomarkers in patients with suspected acute appendicitis, acknowledging the need for additional data to fully assess their diagnostic accuracy.