title: Fecal Calprotectin in Healthy Children Aged 1-4 Years.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Calprotectin has been well emulated recently in adults as well as in children. The aim of this study was to assess fecal calprotectin concentrations in healthy children aged from 1 to 4 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  Volunteers were enlisted from 3 nurseries. A brief questionnaire was used to ensure these children meet the inclusion criteria, and some clinical and sociodemographic factors were collected. Anthro software (version 3.1) was used to calculated Length-for-age Z-scores (LAZ), weight-for-age Z-scores (WAZ), and weight-for-length Z-scores (WLZ) respectively. Fecal calprotectin was detected by a commercially available ELISA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In total 274 children were recruited, with age ranging from 1 to 4 years old. The median FC concentration was 83.19 μg/g [range 4.58 to 702.50 μg/g, interquartile range (IQR) 14.69-419.45 μg/g] or 1.92 log10 μg/g (range 0.66 log10 to 2.85 log10 μg/g, IQR 1.17 log10-2.62 log10 μg/g). All of the children were divided into three groups, 1-2 years (12-24 months), 2-3 years (24-36 months), 3-4 years (36-48 months), with median FC concentrations 96.14 μg/g (1.98 log10 μg/g), 81.48 μg/g (1.91 log10 μg/g), 65.36 μg/g (1.82 log10 μg/g), respectively. There was similar FC level between boys and girls. FC concentrations showed a downward trend by the growing age groups. A statistic difference was found in FC concentrations among groups 1-2 years, 2-3 years and 3-4 years (P = 0.016). In inter-groups comparison, a significant difference was found between children aged 1-2 years and children aged 3-4 years (P = 0.007). A negative correlation trend was found between age and FC concentration (Spearman's rho = -0.167, P = 0.005) in all the participants. A simple correlation was performed among WLZ, WAZ, birth weight, or birth length with FC, and there was no correlation being observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Children aged from 1 to 4 years old have lower FC concentrations compared with healthy infants (<1years), and higher FC concentrations when comparing with children older than 4 years and adults.
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Adolescent Healthcare, MOE-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200092, China.
authors.forename: Qingling
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Adolescent Healthcare, MOE-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200092, China.
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Adolescent Healthcare, MOE-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200092, China.
authors.forename: Junli
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Adolescent Healthcare, MOE-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200092, China.
authors.forename: Lixiao
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Adolescent Healthcare, MOE-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200092, China.
authors.forename: Xiaoyang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Sheng
mesh_terms: D002675:Child, Preschool; D005243:Feces / Q000737:chemistry*; D005260:Female; D064368:Healthy Volunteers; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D039841:Leukocyte L1 Antigen Complex / Q000032:analysis*; D008297:Male
chemical_list: D039841:Leukocyte L1 Antigen Complex