Assay

Faecal Calprotectin

Key Words

Faecal Calprotectin , CALP

Specimen Collection

Fresh faeces collected into a sterile faecal collection pot (Minimum 0.5g sample) (Sample must be received in the laboratory within 3 days of collection). 

Turnaround time

1 week

Test indications

Calprotectin is a calcium and zinc binding protein which constitutes up to 60% of the cytosolic protein in neutrophil granulocytes. During intestinal inflammation neutrophil granulocytes migrate through the intestinal wall into the intestinal lumen, leading to elevated levels of calprotectin in the stool.

The concentration of faecal calprotectin correlates directly with the number of neutrophil granulocytes in the intestinal lumen and is thus specifically elevated in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) such as Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), and to a much smaller extent in other conditions such as neoplasia and polys. In contrast, faecal calprotectin levels are not elevated in functional bowel diseases such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

Methodology

Enzyme immunoassay

Interferences

NSAIDs, alcohol and smoking have been demonstrated to cause elevated faecal calprotectin concentrations.

Reference Range

<50 mg/kg

Analytical error

Contact laboratory x8454

Reference change value

Contact laboratory x8454

Minimum retesting interval

(No minimum retesting interval in place).