Fecal Calprotectin in Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis comprise conditions characterized by chronic, relapsing immune activation and inflammation within the gastrointestinal tract. Objective estimation of intestinal inflammation is the mainstay in the diagnosis and observation of IBD, but is primarily dependent on expensive and invasive procedures such as endoscopy. Therefore, a simple, noninvasive, inexpensive, and accurate test would be extremely important in clinical practice. Fecal calprotectin is a calcium-containing protein released into the lumen that is excreted in feces during acute and chronic inflammation. It is well-researched, noninvasive, and has high sensitivity and specificity for identification of inflammation in IBD. This review will focus on the use of fecal calprotectin to help diagnose, monitor, and determine treatment in IBD.