AIM Due to parental concern regarding the child's bowel habits and the ongoing discussion whether there might be an association between autism and intestinal inflammation, two inflammatory markers were analysed in a group of children with autism. METHODS Twenty-four consecutive children with autism (3-13 years) of unknown aetiology were investigated with respect to faecal calprotectin and rec...

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and other functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) are so prevalent they cannot reasonably have their diagnoses and management based within specialty care. However, delayed diagnosis, lengthy wait times for specialist review, overinvestigation and lack of clear diagnostic communication are common. The intrusive symptoms of IBS and other FGIDs impair patient f...

BACKGROUND/AIMS This study was designed to assess the role of foods with raised IgG antibodies and additives on the symptoms and inflammation of Crohn's disease. METHODS Eight patients with Crohn's disease in remission were studied. They followed a strict diet during phase I. Then, provocations with two, three-day periods (phases II and III) followed: in phase II, pure forms of foods with hig...

BACKGROUND In the present study, we aimed to investigate serum calprotectin levels in patients with diabetic peripheral neuropathy, and possible role of this molecule in the disease pathogenesis. METHOD Twenty nine patients with diabetic peripheral neuropathy, 30 type 2 diabetic patients without neuropathy, and 40 healthy controls were enrolled in the study. Fasting plasma glucose (FPG), high...

Background/Aims—Calprotectin, a 36 kDa protein present in neutrophil cytoplasm, has antimicrobial and apoptosis inducing activities, which are reversed by the addition of zinc. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), a family of zinc dependent enzymes, are important in many normal biological processes including embryonic development, angiogenesis, and wound healing, but also pathological processes su...

INTRODUCTION Microscopic bowel inflammation is present in up to 50% of patients with spondyloarthritis (SpA) and is associated with more severe disease. Currently no reliable biomarkers exist to identify patients at risk. Calprotectin is a sensitive marker of neutrophilic inflammation, measurable in serum and stool. OBJECTIVES To assess whether serum and faecal calprotectin in addition to C-r...

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Assessing the presence and degree of intestinal inflammation objectively, simply, and reliably is a significant problem in gastroenterology. We assessed faecal excretion of calprotectin, a stable neutrophil specific marker, as an index of intestinal inflammation and its potential use as a screening test to discriminate between patients with Crohn's disease and those with irr...

Background Low anti-tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) serum concentrations may result in lack of treatment response in patients with inflammatory bowel disease. We determined the anti-TNFα drug concentrations in patients with inflammatory bowel disease and investigated whether or not subtherapeutic drug concentrations were associated with increased levels of disease activity. Methods In a single...

Calprotectin (CP) is an abundant metal-chelating protein involved in host defense, and the ability of human CP to bind Fe(ii) in a calcium-dependent manner was recently discovered. In the present study, near-infrared magnetic circular dichroism spectroscopy is employed to investigate the nature of Fe(ii) coordination at the two transition-metal-binding sites of CP that are a His3Asp motif (site...

BACKGROUND Faecal calprotectin (FC) is a non-invasive marker of gastrointestinal inflammation. AIM To determine whether higher FC levels in individuals with quiescent Crohn's disease are associated with clinical relapse over the ensuing 12 months. METHODS A single centre prospective study was undertaken in Crohn's disease patients in clinical remission. The receiver operating characteristic...