It's a protein complex found in the human body, It serves as a biomarker for inflammation, especially in the gastrointestinal tract. When there is inflammation in the gut, such as in conditions like inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) or infections, immune cells release calprotectin into the stool. Read More
Calprotectin is a protein released by a type of white blood cell called a neutrophil. When there is inflammation in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, neutrophils move to the area and release calprotectin, resulting in an increased level in the stool. This test measures the level of calprotectin in stool as a way to detect inflammation in the intestines.
Intestinal inflammation is associated with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and with some bacterial GI infections, but it is not associated with many other disorders that affect bowel function and cause similar symptoms. Calprotectin can be used to help distinguish between inflammatory and non-inflammatory conditions.
IBD is a group of chronic disorders characterized by inflamed and damaged tissues in the lining of the intestinal tract. The cause of IBD is not known, but these diseases are thought to be due to an autoimmune process that has been triggered by a genetic predisposition, a viral illness, and/or an environmental factor. The most common inflammatory bowel diseases are Crohn disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC).
People with IBD typically have flare-ups of active disease that alternate with periods of remission. During a flare-up, a person may experience frequent bouts of watery and/or bloody diarrhea, abdominal pain, weight loss, and fever. Between these flare-ups, symptoms frequently subside. Many people may go through extended periods of remission between flare-ups. Calprotectin testing can be useful in monitoring disease activity. The test is not specific or diagnostic for IBD, but it may be done to detect and evaluate the degree of inflammation.
An elevated calprotectin level is a person’s stool indicates that inflammation is likely present in the intestines but does not indicate either its location or cause. In general, the degree of elevation is associated with the severity of the inflammation. Increases in calprotectin are seen with IBD, but also with bacterial infections, some parasitic infections, and with colorectal cancer. In people newly diagnosed with IBD, concentrations of calprotectin may be very high. A low calprotectin means that signs and symptoms are likely due to a non-inflammatory bowel disorder. Examples of these include viral infections in the digestive tract and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Unlike IBD, IBS does not cause inflammation. Rather, it causes cramp-like stomach pains and spasms with bouts of diarrhea and/or constipation. In people with low calprotectin results, an endoscopy is less likely to be indicated or useful. A moderate calprotectin level may indicate that there is some inflammation present or that a person’s condition is worsening. A repeated calprotectin test with a result that is still moderately elevated or that has increased is likely to require further investigation and may warrant an endoscopy.
Calprotectin is a reflection of gastrointestinal inflammation and is not affected by lifestyle changes. If it is due to an infection, then it will most likely return to normal when the infection resolves. If it is due to inflammatory bowel disease, then it will rise and fall with disease activity. In the rare case that an elevated calprotectin is caused by non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) therapy, then it is likely to return to normal when the medication is discontinued.
The calprotectin test is ordered in conjunction with other stool tests, such as a stool test to detect the presence of bacterial infections, ova and parasite testing, a faecal white blood cell test to detect infections in the faecal sample Faecal occult blood test (FOBT) to check for the presence of blood in the stool sample A blood test that detects the presence of inflammation in the body may be ordered C-reactive protein (CRP) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) are tests for general inflammation that may help further diagnose inflammatory diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.
It takes several hours to get the result.
