title: Serum ficolin-2 correlates worse than fecal calprotectin and CRP with endoscopic Crohn's disease activity.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Ficolin-2 is an acute phase reactant produced by the liver and targeted to recognize N-acetyl-glucosamine which is present in bacterial and fungal cell walls. We recently showed that ficolin-2 serum levels were significantly higher in CD patients compared to healthy controls. We aimed to evaluate serum ficolin-2 concentrations in CD patients regarding their correlation with endoscopic severity and to compare them with clinical activity, fecal calprotectin, and CRP.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients provided fecal and blood samples before undergoing ileo-colonoscopy. Disease activity was scored clinically according to the Harvey-Bradshaw Index (HBI) and endoscopically according to the simplified endoscopic score for CD (SES-CD). Ficolin-2 serum levels and fecal calprotectin levels were measured by ELISA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 136 CD patients were prospectively included (mean age at inclusion 41.5±15.4 years, 37.5% females). Median HBI was 3 [2-6] points, median SES-CD was 5 [2-8], median fecal calprotectin was 301 [120-703] μg/g, and median serum ficolin-2 was 2.69 [2.02-3.83] μg/mL. SES-CD correlated significantly with calprotectin (R=0.676, P<0.001), CRP (R=0.458, P<0.001), HBI (R=0.385, P<0.001), and serum ficolin-2 levels (R=0.171, P=0.047). Ficolin-2 levels were higher in CD patients with mild endoscopic disease compared to patients in endoscopic remission (P=0.015) but no difference was found between patients with mild, moderate, and severe endoscopic disease.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Ficolin-2 serum levels correlate worse with endoscopic CD activity when compared to fecal calprotectin or CRP.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Research, University of Bern, Murtenstrasse 35, 3010 Bern, Switzerland. Electronic address: thomas.schaffer@dkf.unibe.ch.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Schaffer
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois et Université de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Alain M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Schoepfer
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois et Université de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland; Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Tiefenauspital Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Seibold
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism*; D003106:Colon / Q000473:pathology*; D003113:Colonoscopy; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism*; D005243:Feces / Q000737:chemistry*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D037102:Lectins / Q000097:blood*; D039841:Leukocyte L1 Antigen Complex / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D000097604:Ficolins
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D037102:Lectins; D039841:Leukocyte L1 Antigen Complex; D000097604:Ficolins
keywords: CRP; Crohn's disease; Disease activity; Fecal calprotectin; Ficolin-2