Background: Fecal calprotectin (FC) has been suggested as a noninvasive substitute marker to determine the degree of intestinal inflammation in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The aim of this study was to compare FC levels in IBD and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), to show its discriminative value and relationship with clinical disease activity in patients with IBD.
Materials and Methods: During the time period between May 2008 and November 2009, 41 patients with newly diagnosed or relapse of IBD and 40 patients with IBS who referred to Gastroenterology Clinic of Firoozgar Hospital, Tehran, Iran, were selected in a consecutive random manner. A sample of stool was collected from each patient before colonoscopy, and fecal calprotectin levels were measured using an ELISA kit (Buhlmann Co., Switzerland). Differences in FC levels were considered statistically significant where p<0.05.
Results: Mean calprotectin level in IBD cases (newly diagnosed and relapse) was 193.57±147.79mg/gr, which was significantly higher than those in IBS cases (28.25±15.13mg/gr) and the difference was statistically significant (p<0.001).
Conclusion: FC levels can be used to differentiate patients with IBD from those with non-inflammatory gastrointestinal disorders such as IBS and can be used as a screening tool for selection of patients who need colonoscopy.