2003•PubMedRequires access
[Clinical significance of faecal calprotectin levels in patients with ulcerative colitis].
Hiroyuki Hanai, K. Tozawa, Ken Takeuchi, Takayuki Iida, Hajime Arai, Shigeru Kanaoka, Ken Sugimoto, Kennichi Yoshida, Teruhiko Iwasaki, Akiko Nakamura, Yoshisuke Hosoda, Naohito Shirai, Kouki Hirasawa, Kennichirou Takahira, Hideki Kataoka, Munetaka Sano, Megumi Osawa, Shigemitsu Sugimoto
Open publisher page 3 citations
Abstract
AIMS: To assess the clinical significance of faecal calprotectin levels (a neutrophil protein) in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC). METHODS: 25 patients with UC provided stool samples for calprotectin assay and the amount of calprotectin was related to UC disease activity index in each patient. Of 25 patients 4 with prednisolone refractory UC received 10 granulocyte and monocyte adsorption apheresis (GMCAP) sessions of 60 minutes duration, flow rate 30 mL per minute for 10 consecutive weeks. RESULTS: Calprotectin level in consecutive faecal samples from three patients was stable. However, increased calprotectin levels were significantly (p < 0.005) associated with Matts's endoscopic index, reflecting the level of colorectal inflammation. The 4 patients who received GMCAP therapy had a clinical activity index < 2 at week 7, the calprotectin level declined with improving Matts' index. CONCLUSIONS: Assay of faecal calprotectin holds promise as a sensitive biomarker to identify colorectal inflammation.