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

Abstract Background: Inflammatory bowel disease is a disorder with unknown origin in which environment, genetics, and immunity play a part. Although colonoscopy and biopsy are expensive and invasive, are used to monitoring the mucosal inflammation. Fecal calprotectin is a non-invasive test which has attracted a lot of attention. We aimed to determine the relation of fecal calprotectin and clinical activity of ulcerative colitis. Methods: This cross-sectional study took place with the confirmation of ethics committee of Mashhad University of Medical Sci- ences in 2014 - 2015. Patients with diagnosis of ulcerative colitis were included; demographic information was recorded and clinical activity of disease was evaluated. Fecal calprotectin was measured by the quantitative ELISA method and results of laboratory studies and 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 average period 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 moderate and 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.