The use of fecal calprotectin in monitoring activity of inflammatory bowel diseases

Aim. To compare fecal calprotectin (FC) concentration with laboratory and diagnostic methods in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). Materials and methods. The level of FC was measured in 110 patients with established IBD. Crohn diseases (CD) was diagnosed in 50 patients, ileocolitis - in 38 and terminal ileitis in 12 individuals. Ulcerative colitis (UC) was diagnosed in 60 patients, total colitis in 35, left-side colitis in 21 and 4 patients have proctitis. Laboratory data include measurement of FC, leukocytes, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C reactive protein (CRP), fecal occult blood. All patients underwent colonoileoscopy (CIS) at the start of disease flare and after 12 weeks of treatment. Results and discussion. We found linear correlation between level of FCP and endoscopic activity of CD, analyzing FCP level and endoscopic activity of CD before (during disease flare) and after 12 weeks treatment (r=0.66, p<0.001). Linear correlation between FCP and SES-CD sustained after 12 weeks of treatment (r=0.77, p<0.001). We revealed correlation between FCP concentration. And CRP level (r=0.59, p<0.05). The linear correlation was detected between FCP and endoscopic activity of UC (r=0.88, p<0.001) before the treatment. After 12 weeks of treatment linear correlation was shown between FCP and Meyo scale (r=0.73, p<0.001). IBD patients with FCP more than 200 mcg/g have high risk of disease reccurence in short-term period of time (HR - 8.33; 95% CI 2.05-33.8; χ2 - 11.85; p<0.001) and (HR - 2.7; 95% CI 1.1-6.6; χ2 - 5.3; p<0.05), accordingly. Conclusion. Increased FCP level indicates poor effectiveness of treatment and high risk of reccurence. The level of FCP correlates strongly with recent laboratory and diagnostic indices of activity and enables to determine patients with high risk of reccurence. Thus, thorough monitoring, including additional procedures, contributes to just-in-time treatment modification.