title: Increased faecal calprotectin predicts recurrence of colonic diverticulitis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Colonic diverticulitis shows a high recurrence rate, but the role of faecal markers in predicting recurrence is unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of faecal calprotectin (FC) in predicting recurrence of diverticulitis.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective cohort study was performed on 54 patients suffering from acute uncomplicated diverticulitis (AUD) diagnosed by computerized tomography (CT). After remission, patients underwent to clinical follow-up every 2 months. After remission and during the follow-up, FC was analysed. Recurrence of diverticulitis was defined as return to our observation due to left lower-quadrant pain with or without other symptoms (e.g. fever), associated with leucocytosis and/or increased C-reactive protein (CRP). Presence of diverticulitis was confirmed by means of CT.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean follow-up was 20 months (range 12-24 months). Forty-eight patients were available for the final evaluation, and six patients were lost to follow-up. During follow-up, increased FC was detected in 17 (35.4 %) patients and diverticulitis recurred in eight patients (16.7 %). Diverticulitis recurred in eight (16.7 %) patients: seven (87.5 %) patients showed increased FC during the follow-up, and only one (12.5 %) patient with recurrent diverticulitis did not show increased FC. Diverticulitis recurrence was strictly related to the presence of abnormal FC test during follow-up.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In the present prospective study, increased FC was found to be predictive of diverticulitis recurrence.
authors.affiliation: Gastroenterology Service, ASL BAT, Via Torino, 49, 76123, Andria, BT, Italy, antotursi@tiscali.it.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tursi
authors.forename: Walter
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Elisei
authors.forename: Marcello
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Picchio
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Brandimarte
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004239:Diverticulitis, Colonic / Q000378:metabolism*; D005243:Feces / Q000737:chemistry*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D039841:Leukocyte L1 Antigen Complex / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012008:Recurrence
chemical_list: D039841:Leukocyte L1 Antigen Complex