BACKGROUND AND AIMS Ficolin-2 is an acute phase reactant produced by the liver and targeted to recognize N-acetyl-glucosamine which is present in bacterial and fungal cell walls. We recently showed that ficolin-2 serum levels were significantly higher in CD patients compared to healthy controls. We aimed to evaluate serum ficolin-2 concentrations in CD patients regarding their correlation with ...

CONTEXT The use of fecal markers to monitor Crohn's disease is crucial for assessing the response to treatment. OBJECTIVE To assess the inflammatory activity of Crohn's disease by comparing fecal markers (calprotectin and lactoferrin), colonoscopy combined with biopsy, and the Crohn's disease activity index (CDAI), as well as serum markers, before treatment with infliximab, after the end of i...

Both phenotypes of heart failure (HF) with preserved (HFpEF) and reduced (HFrEF) ejection fraction associate with various co-morbidities. The role of specific mediators in certain pathological conditions related to HFpEF and reduced HFrEF is not completely investigated. In this context, the discovery of novel biomarkers that might predict the development of HFpEF is attractive. The objective of...

AIM To assess magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and faecal calprotectin to detect endoscopic postoperative recurrence in patients with Crohn's disease (CD). METHODS From two tertiary centers, all patients with CD who underwent ileocolonic resection were consecutively and prospectively included. All the patients underwent MRI and endoscopy within the first year after surgery or after the restor...

AIMS Deciding if a diabetic foot ulcer is infected in a community setting is challenging without validated point-of-care tests. Four inflammatory biomarkers were investigated to develop a composite algorithm for mildly infected diabetic foot ulcers: venous white cell count, C-reactive protein (CRP) and procalcitonin, and a novel wound exudate calprotectin assay. Calprotectin is a marker of neut...

OBJECTIVE To evaluate whether including a test for faecal calprotectin, a sensitive marker of intestinal inflammation, in the investigation of suspected inflammatory bowel disease reduces the number of unnecessary endoscopic procedures. DESIGN Meta-analysis of diagnostic accuracy studies. DATA SOURCES Studies published in Medline and Embase up to October 2009. Interventions reviewed Measure...

BACKGROUND Fecal biomarker tests that differentiate between organic bowel disease (OBD) and non-OBD in primary care patients with persistent lower-abdomen complaints could reduce the number of unnecessary referrals for endoscopy. We quantified the accuracy of fecal calprotectin and immunochemical occult blood (iFOBT) point-of-care (POC) tests and a calprotectin ELISA in primary care patients wi...

BACKGROUND Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) causes several alterations in gastrointestinal function. We hypothesized that levels of three commonly used fecal tests change after RYGB. METHODS Fecal levels of calprotectin, elastase, and alpha-1-antitrypsin were determined in 122 patients without signs of gastrointestinal disease 1 to 2 years after RYGB. Medians, distribution of values, and the p...

BACKGROUND Phenylketonuria (PKU) is an inborn error of amino acid metabolism in which high phenylalanine (Phe) concentrations in the central nervous system adversely affect its development and functioning. In PKU high oxidative stress and inefficiency of free radical scavenging may lead to systemic chronic inflammation. We hypothesised that in PKU gut mucosa is chronically inflamed and that thi...

In recent years the use of faecal and serologic biomarkers has been evaluated in the diagnosis and management of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Faecal calprotectin (FC) has been proposed as a surrogate marker for intestinal inflammation; elevated concentrations in IBD patients have been confirmed in numerous studies. Already available rapid calprotectin tests help to differentiate between IB...