Fecal calprotectin concentrations in healthy children aged 1-18 months.
OBJECTIVE
Fecal calprotectin (FC) is an established biomarker of gut inflammation. The aim of this study was to evaluate FC concentrations in healthy children between 1 and 18 months of age.


METHODS
Healthy children aged 1-18 months were enrolled in this study at the Department of Children's Health Care in Shanghai, China. Children's stool samples were collected and analyzed, and FC concentration was determined using a commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The children's weights and lengths were measured. Parents were asked to complete a brief questionnaire regarding several clinical and sociodemographic factors.


RESULTS
The FC concentrations were unevenly distributed; the median FC concentration was 174.3 μg/g (range: 6.0-1097.7 μg/g) or 2.241 log10 μg/g (range: 0.775-3.041 log10 μg/g) for all 288 children. The children were divided into several age groups: 1-3 months, 3-6 months, 6-9 months, 9-12 months and 12-18 months. The median FC concentrations for these age groups were 375.2 μg/g (2.574 log10 μg/g), 217.9 μg/g (2.338 log10 μg/g), 127.7 μg/g (2.106 log10 μg/g), 96.1 μg/g (1.983 log10 μg/g) and 104.2 μg/g (2.016 log10 μg/g), respectively. A significant correlation between age and FC concentration was found (r=-0.490, p<0.001). A simple correlation analysis of weight-for-length Z-scores or weight-for-age Z-scores vs. FC concentrations showed that these variables were negatively correlated (Spearman's rho=-0.287, p<0.001; Spearman's rho=-0.243, p<0.001, respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
The FC levels of children aged 1-18 months exhibit a downward trend with increasing age and are greater than the normal levels observed in healthy adults. In healthy children aged <6 months, FC levels are high. In children aged 6-18 months, FC concentrations are relatively low but are still higher than those of children aged >4 years.
Department of Children and Adolescents Health Care, MOE-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Xin Hua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Feng
F
Li
Department of Children and Adolescents Health Care, MOE-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Xin Hua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Jingqiu
J
Ma
Department of Children and Adolescents Health Care, MOE-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Xin Hua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Shanshan
S
Geng
Department of Children and Adolescents Health Care, MOE-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Xin Hua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Junli
J
Wang
Department of Children and Adolescents Health Care, MOE-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Xin Hua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Jinrong
J
Liu
Department of Children and Adolescents Health Care, MOE-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Xin Hua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Jie
J
Zhang
Department of Children and Adolescents Health Care, MOE-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Xin Hua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Xiaoyang
X
Sheng
D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005243:Feces; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D039841:Leukocyte L1 Antigen Complex / Q000378:metabolism*
D039841:Leukocyte L1 Antigen Complex