[Significance of fecal lactoferrin in evaluation of disease activity in ulcerative colitis].
OBJECTIVE
To explore the possibility and clinical application value of fecal lactoferrin as a marker of the activity of ulcerative colitis (UC).


METHODS
Specimens of feces were collected from 66 UC patients and 20 healthy persons or irritable bowel syndrome patients. ELISA was used to measure the concentration of lactoferrin in feces, and CRP and ESR were also measured. The disease activity of UC was determined by Mayo criteria.


RESULTS
The fecal lactoferrin concentration of the patients with active UC was (61.6 +/- 4.8) microg/g, significantly higher than that of the patients with inactive UC and the controls [(7.9 +/- 1.1) microg/g and (3.0 +/- 0.5) microg/g, both P < 0.01], and the fecal lactoferrin concentration of the patients with inactive UC group was also significantly higher than that of the controls (P < 0.05). The higher the grade of activity of disease the higher the concentration of lactoferrin (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). The area under curve of receiver operating characteristic (AUCROC) of fecal lactoferrin was 0.982, significantly larger than those of the CRP and ESR (0.740 and 0.692 respectively, both P < 0.01). However, there was no significant difference in AUCROC between CPR and ESR. The fecal lactoferrin concentration was positively correlated with the endoscopic grades of UC (r = 0.871, P < 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
Lactoferrin in feces reflects the disease activity of UC and is a rational fecal marker of intestinal inflammation for clinical application. A precise, simple, and noninvasive method, lactoferrin examination is better than common clinically used markers, such as CRP and ESR.
Xiang
Jun-Ying
JY
Department of Gastroenterology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China. qin.ouyang@163.com
Ouyang
Qin
Q
Li
Guo-Dong
GD
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis; D003093:Colitis, Ulcerative / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism; D005243:Feces / Q000737:chemistry*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007781:Lactoferrin / Q000032:analysis*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests
D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D007781:Lactoferrin