title: The value of fecal calprotectin as a marker of intestinal inflammation in patients with ulcerative colitis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess intestinal inflammation, simple, inexpensive and objective tools are desirable in inflammatory bowel disease. This study aimed to evaluate fecal calprotectin as a marker of active disease in ulcerative colitis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty patients with a diagnosis of ulcerative colitis and 20 controls were recruited into the study. The disease activity of ulcerative colitis was determined by modified Truelove-Witts criteria and Rachmilewitz endoscopic index. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to measure the concentrations of fecal calprotectin. C-reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rate and hemogram were also measured, and inflammatory markers were compared with fecal calprotectin in determining disease activity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fecal calprotectin concentration in the patients with active ulcerative colitis (n=30) was significantly higher than that in the inactive ulcerative colitis group (n=30) and in the controls (n=20) (95% confidence interval: 232.5 (0.75-625) vs 11.7 (0.2-625), 7.5 (0.5-512) mg/L, p<0.001). There was no significant difference between the patients with inactive ulcerative colitis and controls (p>0.05). The calprotectin concentration was greater in the patients with a more severe clinical index, higher endoscopic activity (>4), elevated C-reactive protein, leukocytosis, and extensive colitis (p<0.05). The areas under the curve of the receiver operating characteristics were 0.817, 0.809, 0.532, and 0.507 for C-reactive protein, fecal calprotectin, leukocyte count, and erythrocyte sedimentation rate, respectively. There was a significant correlation between the fecal calprotectin concentration and the endoscopic activity in ulcerative colitis (r = 0.548, p<0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Fecal calprotectin is a useful marker in the diagnosis of active disease and evaluation of clinical and endoscopic activity in ulcerative colitis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Yüksek İhtisas Teaching and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: İbrahim Koral
authors.initials: İK
authors.lastname: Önal
authors.forename: Yavuz
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Beyazit
authors.forename: Burçin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Şener
authors.forename: Burak
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Savuk
authors.forename: Diğdem
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Özer Etık
authors.forename: Abdurrahim
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sayilir
authors.forename: Erkin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Öztaş
authors.forename: Serkan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Torun
authors.forename: Yasemin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Özderın Özın
authors.forename: Bilge
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Tunç Demırel
authors.forename: Aysel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ülker
authors.forename: Ülkü
authors.initials: Ü
authors.lastname: Dağli
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D001706:Biopsy; D003093:Colitis, Ulcerative / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism; D003106:Colon / Q000473:pathology*; D003113:Colonoscopy; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005243:Feces / Q000737:chemistry*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D039841:Leukocyte L1 Antigen Complex / Q000032:analysis*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D039841:Leukocyte L1 Antigen Complex