The Relation Between Fecal Calprotectin and the Rate of Clinical Activity of Ulcerative Colitis

Background: Inflammatory bowel disease is a disorder with unknown origin in which environment, genetics, and immunity playa part. Although colonoscopy and biopsy are expensive and invasive, are used to monitoring the mucosal inflammation. Fecalcalprotectin is a non-invasive test which has attracted a lot of attention. We aimed to determine the relation of fecal calprotectinand clinical activity of ulcerative colitis.Methods: This cross-sectional study took place with the confirmation of ethics committee of Mashhad University of Medical Sciencesin 2014 - 2015. Patients with diagnosis of ulcerative colitis were included; demographic information was recorded and clinicalactivity of disease was evaluated. Fecal calprotectin was measured by the quantitative ELISA method and results of laboratory studiesand clinical examinations were analyzed by SPSS software version 16. Level of significance was considered less than 0.05.Results: Seventy patients were studied (male = 56%, average age = 38 15). 25 patients (36.2%) were newly diagnosed. The averageperiod of disease was 4.1 ± 5 years. 25 individuals (35.7%) had mild, 19 individuals (27.1%) had moderate, and 26 individuals (37.1%)had severe disease. Averages of fecal calprotectin in mild, moderate, and severe disease were 132 111, 119 44 and 141 78 g/ g,respectively. Averages of fecal calprotectin in mild and moderate disease (P = 0.874), in mild and severe (P = 0.925) and in moderateand severe disease (P = 0.662) were not significantly different.Conclusions: Although fecal calprotectin in severe ulcerative colitis is higher, it has no relation with disease clinical activity.

Keywords:

Colitis , Ulcerative , Inflammatory Bowel Disease , Calprotectin