Calprotectin
Calprotectin is a protein found in white blood cells that serves as a marker of inflammation, particularly in the gut. Measuring calprotectin levels in stool helps assess the degree of intestinal inflammation. This test is useful for diagnosing and monitoring inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, and for distinguishing them from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), which typically does not elevate calprotectin levels.
Description
Individuals experiencing symptoms of gastrointestinal disorders, such as chronic diarrhea, abdominal pain, or unexplained weight loss, would benefit from fecal calprotectin testing. It’s particularly useful for diagnosing and monitoring inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) like Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis and for distinguishing these conditions from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), which typically does not elevate calprotectin levels.
Calprotectin levels in the blood can indicate systemic inflammation and are not specific to the gastrointestinal tract. In contrast, fecal calprotectin specifically reflects inflammation in the intestines. Elevated fecal calprotectin is a more direct indicator of intestinal disorders, whereas blood levels may rise due to various inflammatory conditions throughout the body.
Very high calprotectin levels are found, for example, in active chronic inflammatory gastrointestinal diseases, invasive enteritis or extensive ulcerative colorectal carcinoma. People with chronic diffuse gastrointestinal diseases, food allergies or malabsorption instead show lower to moderately elevated levels.
The connection between calprotectin and the intestinal mucosa lies in calprotectin’s role as a marker of inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract. Here’s how they are connected:
- Indicator of Inflammation: Calprotectin is released from white blood cells into the intestines during inflammation. Elevated levels of calprotectin in the feces are often a direct response to inflammation in the intestinal mucosa.
- Detecting Intestinal Disorders: High calprotectin levels can indicate disorders that cause inflammation of the intestinal lining, such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.
- Monitoring Disease Activity: In patients with known intestinal disorders, measuring calprotectin helps assess the severity and activity of the disease. It can indicate whether the intestinal mucosa is inflamed and how effectively a treatment is working.
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