Abstract

Gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms including abdominal pain, bloating and diarrhoea are a relatively common reason for consulting a physician. They may be due to inflammatory bowel disease (inflammatory bowel disease; Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis and indeterminate colitis), malignancy (colorectal cancer), infectious colitis or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Differentiation between these involves the use of clinical, radiological, endoscopic and serological techniques, which are invasive or involve exposure to radiation. Serological markers include C-reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rate and antibodies (perinuclear antineutrophil cytoplasm antibody and anti-Saccharomyces cerevisiae antibody). Faecal markers that can aid in distinguishing inflammatory disorders from non-inflammatory conditions are non-invasive and generally acceptable to the patient. As IBS accounts for up to 50% of cases presenting to the GI clinic and is a diagnosis of exclusion (Rome III criteria), any test that can reliably distinguish IBS from organic disease could speed diagnosis and reduce endoscopy waiting times. Faecal calprotectin, lactoferrin, M2-PK and S100A12 will be reviewed.

Links

Publisher Full Text

Authors

Sherwood RA

Institution

Clinical Biochemistry, King's College Hospital, London, UK. roy.sherwood@nhs.net

Source

Journal of clinical pathology 65:11 2012 Nov pg 981-5

MeSH

Biological Markers
Colitis, Ulcerative
Crohn Disease
Diagnosis, Differential
Feces
Gastroenteritis
Humans
Inflammatory Bowel Diseases
Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Lactoferrin
Leukocyte L1 Antigen Complex
Practice Guidelines as Topic
Pyruvate Kinase
S100 Proteins

Pub Type(s)

Journal Article
Review

Language

eng

PubMed ID

22813730