title: The role of fecal calprotectin in assessment of hepatic encephalopathy in patients with liver cirrhosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Calprotectin is a cytoplasmatic protein of neutrophilic granulocytes and it is an established marker for the assessment of localized intestinal inflammation.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To explore correlation between values of fecal calprotectin and degree of liver cirrhosis and hepatic encephalopathy.
  
  
  METHODS
  We included 60 patients with liver cirrhosis and 37 healthy patients as controls. Patients revealing other causes of abnormal calprotectin results (gastrointestinal bleeding or inflammatory bowel disease) were excluded. The degree of liver insufficiency was assessed according to the Child-Pugh classification and Model of End Stage Liver Disease (MELD), and degree of hepatic enceph- alopathy by West-Haven criteria, serum concentration of ammonium ion and the number connection test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean value of fecal calprotectin in patients with liver cirrhosis was 189.1 ± 168.0 μg/g, and 35.0 ± 26.0 μg/g in the control group, respectively. We have confirmed significantly higher fecal calprotectin in patients with cirrhosis (p < 0.001). There were no significant differences in values of fecal calprotectin between the patients with different stages of liver cirrhosis according to Child-Pugh classification and MELD score (p > 0.05). We observed statistically significant difference comparing fecal calprotectin by West-Haven criteria of hepatic encephalopathy (p < 0.001), while there were no correlation with the number connection test and serum concentration of ammonium ion (p > 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We confirmed significantly higher values of fecal calprotectin in patients with liver cirrhosis, especially in hepatic encephalopathy according to West-Haven criteria.
authors.forename: Tamara
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Alempijević
authors.forename: Miloš
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Štulić
authors.forename: Dragan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Popovic
authors.forename: Djordje
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Culafic
authors.forename: Sanja
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dragasevic
authors.forename: Tomica
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Milosavljevic
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005243:Feces; D005260:Female; D006501:Hepatic Encephalopathy / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D039841:Leukocyte L1 Antigen Complex / Q000378:metabolism*; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D039841:Leukocyte L1 Antigen Complex