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Dig Dis Sci (2013) 58:309319 DOI 10.1007/s10620-012-2347-5
REVIEW
Fecal Calprotectin in Pediatric Inammatory Bowel Disease: A Systematic Review
Ioannis D. Kostakis Kyriaki G. Cholidou
Aristeidis G. Vaiopoulos Ioannis S. Vlachos
Despina Perrea George Vaos
Received: 3 June 2012 / Accepted: 28 July 2012 / Published online: 17 August 2012 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2012
AbstractBackground Inammatory bowel disease frequently begins during childhood or adolescence. Current tests and procedures for diagnosing and monitoring inammatory bowel disease are invasive, uncomfortable and costly. Fecal calprotectin is an inammatory marker tested in several studies including pediatric patients with inammatory bowel disease.
I. D. Kostakis K. G. Cholidou A. G. Vaiopoulos
I. S. Vlachos D. Perrea
Laboratory of Experimental Surgery and Surgical Research N.S. Christeas, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15b Agiou Thoma Street, 11527 Athens, Greecee-mail: [email protected]
A. G. Vaiopoulose-mail: [email protected]
I. S. Vlachose-mail: [email protected]
D. Perreae-mail: [email protected]
I. D. Kostakis (&)27 Achridos Street, Kato Patissia, 11144 Athens, Greece e-mail: [email protected]
G. VaosDepartment of Pediatric Surgery, Alexandroupolis University Hospital, Medical School, Democritus University of Thrace, 68100 Alexandroupolis, Greecee-mail: [email protected]
G. VaosLaboratory of Experimental Surgery and Surgical Research, Medical School, Democritus University of Thrace, 68100 Alexandroupolis, Greece
Methods A search for articles published up to October 2011 was conducted using MEDLINE and EMBASE databases. We included original English-written articles referred to pediatric patients with inammatory bowel disease and measured fecal calprotectin levels. We extracted data concerning fecal calprotectin levels in patients with inammatory bowel disease and in the controls groups, sensitivity, specicity, positive and negative likelihood ratio.
Results Thirty-four studies were included. Fecal calprotectin levels of patients with inammatory bowel disease are much higher than those of healthy controls or patients with functional disorders or other gastrointestinal diseases. The results vary greatly when taking all studies into consideration. Nevertheless, in cases of newly diagnosed and/ or active inammatory bowel disease, the results are more homogeneous, with high sensitivity and positive likelihood ratio, low negative likelihood ratio, but moderate specicity. Moreover, 50 lg/g seems to be the most proper cutoff point for the fecal calprotectin test.
Conclusions The fecal calprotectin test could be used for supporting diagnosis or conrming relapse of inammatory bowel disease in pediatric patients. A positive result could conrm the suspicion of either inammatory...