Faecal calprotectin concentrations in children with functional gastrointestinal disorders diagnosed according to the Pediatric Rome III criteria.
OBJECTIVE
To determine if faecal calprotectin concentrations vary with different entities of functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGID) in children.


METHODS
Children (4-15 years) who were consecutively referred by general practitioners to four general paediatric outpatient clinics for the evaluation of recurrent abdominal pain were assessed according to a research protocol which included clinical examination, a minimum set of blood, urine and stool tests, and clinical reassessment after 6-9 months. The diagnoses of FGID were based on the parent version of the Questionnaire on Pediatric Gastrointestinal Symptoms-Rome III.


RESULTS
Of the 152 patients included, 142 children were diagnosed with FGID. Of these, 126 (89%) provided a stool specimen for quantification of calprotectin. The median calprotectin concentrations were at or lower than 16 mg/kg which was at the lower detection limit and there were no differences between the FGID subgroups. Nine children (7%) had slightly raised values.


CONCLUSIONS
The faecal calprotectin concentration is within normal limits in FGID and does not vary with different FGID entities suggesting that bowel inflammation is not a significant part of the pathogenesis in FGID.
Flagstad
G
G
.Department of Pediatrics, Innlandet Hospital Trust, Lillehammer, Norway.Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Innlandet Hospital Trust, Gjøvik Norway.Innlandet Hospital Trust, Gjøvik, Norway.
Helgeland
H
H
.Department of Pediatrics, Innlandet Hospital Trust, Lillehammer, Norway.Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Innlandet Hospital Trust, Gjøvik Norway.Innlandet Hospital Trust, Gjøvik, Norway.
Markestad
T
T
.Department of Pediatrics, Innlandet Hospital Trust, Lillehammer, Norway.Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Innlandet Hospital Trust, Gjøvik Norway.Innlandet Hospital Trust, Gjøvik, Norway.
D015746:Abdominal Pain / Q000209:etiology; D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003938:Diagnostic Techniques, Digestive System; D005243:Feces / Q000737:chemistry*; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D039841:Leukocyte L1 Antigen Complex / Q000032:analysis*; D012008:Recurrence; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D039841:Leukocyte L1 Antigen Complex