Determining the association between stool calprotectin level and colorectal involvement in ulcerative colitis patients

Background and Objectives: Calprotectin is a cytosolic protein in granulocytes. Its amount in the stool is proportional to the amount of neutrophil migration from the inflamed intestinal wall to the mucous and indicates the amount of active inflammation in the mucous. It is used to help diagnose the phase of disease and the extent of colon involvement. Methods: For ۶۰ patients with ulcerative colitis (UC), who underwent colonoscopy and biopsy, ۵-۱۰ grams of stool samples were sent to Zanjan Buali's laboratory to measure calprotectin level by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The extent of colon involvement was measured by a colonoscopy exam including rectal involvement (proctitis), rectum and sigmoid (recto sigmoiditis), descending colon involvement (left side colitis), and proximal to the colon's splenic flexure (pan colitis). Results: All of the ۶۰ patients who participated had UC. The average of calprotectin was ۵۵۵.۱۸±۱۷۹.۴۱ with no significant relationship between calprotectin levels and the gender, no significant relationship between calprotectin levels and gender, as well as between colorectal involvement and calprotectin levels. Conclusion: The level of fecal calprotectin may indicate the severity of colorectal involvement, but cannot show the extent of it. This inability is also present in different ages and genders. Therefore, the results say this marker cannot be used as a diagnosis of the extent of colorectal involvement in patients with UC.

کلیدواژه ها:

Calprotectin ، stool ، ulcerative colitis ، colonoscopy