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Calprotectin is a substance whose content in the stool may indicate inflammation of the digestive system. It is a kind of marker, i.e. an inflammation detector in the body. Calprotectin testing allows you to determine the type of inflammation and use measurable test results to distinguish the type of disease. However, in the case of elevated calprotectin levels, such a test may be necessary in order to more accurately diagnose possible inflammatory colitis.
Calprotectin it occurs in an inflamed body. Calprotectin is found in the plasma, urine, saliva, synovial fluid and the patient’s stools (stools) due to permeation calprotectin into the stool by unsealing the intestinal walls caused by inflammation or ulceration.
Indications for testing the level of calprotectin
Determination of the level of calprotectin it is an important element in the diagnosis of gastrointestinal diseases, especially of the intestines. This test is performed in the case of inflammations, recurrent diarrhea, presence of blood and mucus in the stools, recurrent abdominal and intestinal pains, loss of appetite, digestive disorders, disorders of nutrient absorption from food, acute inflammation of the intestines, inflammation in the mouth in suspected ulcerative colitis, after surgery to excise polyps of the large intestine, as well as in the diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and functional bowel disorders.
Calprotectin level testing is an important part of the diagnosis and monitoring of a serious chronic disease of the digestive system, such as Crohn’s disease, as well as in the case of suspected colorectal cancer.
Calprotectin however, it is not only a sign of inflammation of the intestines. The occurrence of a high calprotectin levels in the body it can also mean active rheumatic diseases, acute pancreatitis, pneumonia or cirrhosis of the liver. Level calprotectin it is also greater after significant physical exertion and during treatment with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).
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What is calprotectin testing?
Test for the presence of calprotectin in faeces is not reimbursed by the National Health Fund. The cost of the test is about PLN 150. The test can be performed in clinics and diagnostic laboratories. Calprotectin level testing consists in marking presence and level calprotectin in a stool sample.
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Calprotectin – standards
The sensitivity of the investigative tests concentration level calprotectin it is very high, being 83-100 percent in adults (specificity 60-100 percent) and also 95-100 percent in children (specificity 44-93 percent).
Score a sample of calprotectin concentration level <50 μg / g is normal. This result excludes the occurrence of an inflammatory process in the intestine. A patient with the aforementioned ailments is likely to have irritable bowel syndrome.
In the case of a calprotectin concentration level of 50-150 µg / g we get an elevated result (patients should be monitored, if necessary, the test should be repeated after 6-8 weeks).
Calprotectin result> 150 μg / g means the inflammatory process currently taking place in the body and requires the rapid performance of subsequent, more detailed examinations: colonoscopy, contrast tests, X-ray and ultrasound examinations (USG) and other examinations and tests ordered by the attending physician.
Laboratory tests of stools (stools) in diagnostics it is performed in the case of chronic digestive abnormalities or sudden acute symptoms. In this way, diseases of the gastrointestinal tract are diagnosed. Stool (stool) tests they also allow to determine the occurrence of possible parasites, as well as stomach ulcers, pancreatic diseases and gastrointestinal neoplasms. Laboratory examination allows to postpone or exclude the need for unpleasant gastroscopy and colonoscopy examinations, which consist in inserting a probe into the stomach or intestine of the patient that allows to visualize the inside of the organs in order to determine the type of disease.