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Prognosis and assessment

Quail MA, Russell RK, Van Limbergen JE et al.  Inflamm Bowel Dis 2009;15:756–9.

The utility of fecal calprotectin in the diagnostic work-up of children with IBD was evaluated in this study. Its role alongside standard blood tests used in IBD was also assessed. The investigators found that fecal calprotectin was significantly more likely to be raised than any of the commonly employed blood tests at IBD diagnosis. They conclude that fecal calprotectin measurement is a significant advance when used alongside routine blood tests in the diagnosis of pediatric IBD.

 

Fecal calprotectin is a neutrophil cytosolic protein with antimicrobial properties. It is present at an increased concentration in stool in those with gastrointestinal inflammation. The normal fecal calprotectin level in children aged 4–17 years is <50 µg/g, although neonatal levels are higher, at a median of 167 µg/g. The test for fecal calprotectin is simple and noninvasive, and is therefore of considerable value in the pediatric population in which the diagnosis of IBD may be difficult and a delay to diagnosis is common.

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