Abstract
Background: Fecal calprotectin may be used as a non-invasive method to assess the effect of novel therapies on the gut in cystic fibrosis (CF).
Method: Stools from CF patients and healthy controls (HC) (0-10 years old) were prospectively collected for evaluation of temporal trends.
Results: 130 CF samples (64 subjects) and 114 HC samples (101 subjects) were collected. Overall, fecal calprotectin levels were different in CF patients and HC from 0 to 10 years (P = 0.0002). Fecal calprotectin in CF was significantly lower than HC from 0 to 1 years (P = 0.03) and demonstrated an upward trajectory until 4 years. From >4 to 10 years calprotectin was consistently higher in CF patients compared with HC (P = 0.007).
Conclusions: Fecal calprotectin levels in children with CF and HC were age-dependent and had distinct trajectories. Careful interpretation of calprotectin is required if used in drug trials for CF, particularly in children less than 4 years old. (C) 2017 European Cystic Fibrosis Society. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.