title: Role of fecal calprotectin in differentiating between Hirschsprung's disease and functional constipation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Calprotectin is a 36.5 kD calcium and zinc binding protein in the S100 protein family. Fecal calprotectin levels are elevated in patients with inflammatory bowel disease and some other gastrointestinal disorders such as colorectal carcinoma. We decided to evaluate the fecal calprotectin level to see if it was able to distinguish between functional and organic causes of constipation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy-six children aged 1 to 120 months that all underwent deep rectal mucosa biopsies at Children Medical Center from November 2010 till September 2011 were recruited. Nineteen cases were diagnosed as Hirschsprung's disease and 57 of the patients had nerve ganglion cells in their biopsies. Calprotectin concentration was analyzed by the ELISA method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Although there was a significant difference between the median of the two groups (p=0.036), the median was not above the predetermined cutoff value of 50 µg/g.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We propose that fecal calprotectin, using the above cutoff value, has limited value in differentiating functional constipation from Hirschsprung's disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Central Laboratory, Valiasr Hospital, Imam Khomeini Hospital Complex, End of Keshavarz Boulevard 1419733141, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Fatemeh Elham
authors.initials: FE
authors.lastname: Mahjoub
authors.forename: Nasim
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Zahedi
authors.forename: Bahar
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ashjai
authors.forename: Mohammad Taghi Haghi
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Ashtiani
authors.forename: Fatemeh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Farahmand
authors.forename: Maryam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Monajemzadeh
authors.forename: Leila
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kashi
authors.forename: Heshmat
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Iranikhah
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003248:Constipation / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005243:Feces / Q000737:chemistry; D005260:Female; D006627:Hirschsprung Disease / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000473:pathology; D039841:Leukocyte L1 Antigen Complex / Q000032:analysis*; D008297:Male; D012737:Sex Factors
chemical_list: D039841:Leukocyte L1 Antigen Complex