title: The role of fecal calprotectin and lactoferrin in the diagnosis of necrotizing enterocolitis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Early detection of necrotizing enterocolitis can improve the prognosis, however, there is not a reliable laboratory test to detect either newborns at risk for necrotizing enterocolitis development or those at early stages of the disease. Since fecal lactoferrin and fecal calprotectin are inflammatory markers of gastrointestinal diseases, it was hypothesized that both these biomarkers could be successfully used in the diagnosis of necrotizing enterocolitis.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a prospective study, fecal lactoferrin and fecal calprotectin concentrations of 14 newborns with necrotizing enterocolitis and consecutively admitted 40 healthy preterm, and 23 healthy full-term newborns were measured with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay technique.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean fecal lactoferrin and fecal calprotectin were not different between preterm and full-term newborns (p = .235 and p = .845, respectively), or those who were diagnosed with necrotizing enterocolitis or not (p = .545 and p = .968, respectively). Prevalence of necrotizing enterocolitis was 1.51% (14 of 2734). Stage of the disease did not have a statistical effect on mean levels (p = .694 and p = .267, respectively). Mean fecal lactoferrin and fecal calprotectin levels were not different in the case of breastfeeding (p = .623 and p = .792, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Neither fecal lactoferrin nor fecal calprotectin has a role in the identification of necrotizing enterocolitis, especially in early stages of the disease. Further studies on wider necrotizing enterocolitis series are needed for a more definite conclusion.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Inönü University, Malatya, Turkey. ayseselimoglu@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Mukadder Ayşe
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Selimoğlu
authors.forename: Ismail
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Temel
authors.forename: Çiğdem
authors.initials: Ç
authors.lastname: Yıldırım
authors.forename: Fatma
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Özyaln
authors.forename: Mümtaz
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aktaş
authors.forename: Hamza
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Karabiber
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D020345:Enterocolitis, Necrotizing / Q000175:diagnosis*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005243:Feces / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D007781:Lactoferrin / Q000032:analysis*; D039841:Leukocyte L1 Antigen Complex / Q000032:analysis*; D011446:Prospective Studies
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D039841:Leukocyte L1 Antigen Complex; D007781:Lactoferrin