Calprotectin Diagnostic Test Lab.Home Calprotectin'Alert
- Characteristics
- Description
- How to use
CALPROTECTIN’ALERT® — a specific immunodiagnostic test designed to detect calprotectin in stool when its concentration exceeds 50 µg of calprotectin per gram of stool. Calprotectin is a key protein found in neutrophils, which are cells that emerge at sites of inflammation. An elevated level of calprotectin in stool indicates intestinal inflammation.
The calprotectin test is a first-line test in cases of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), Crohn's disease (CD), ulcerative colitis (UC), or colorectal cancer. The calprotectin test helps distinguish irritable bowel syndrome from inflammatory bowel diseases, thereby potentially avoiding invasive colonoscopies.
The incidence of inflammatory bowel diseases (such as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis) is increasing, leading many individuals with symptoms resembling irritable bowel syndrome to undergo unnecessary invasive hospital examinations before receiving a diagnosis. Testing for fecal calprotectin (an inflammation marker of the intestines) enables the diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome in patients, thereby reducing the number of invasive tests and associated risks. The CALPROTECTIN'ALERT® test detects calprotectin when its concentration exceeds 50 µg/g of feces by using two monoclonal antibodies. One of the antibodies is located on the membrane at the test line (T), while the other is conjugated with mobile red gold particles, resulting in the appearance of a red line in this area if calprotectin is present in the stool.
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The CALPROTECTIN'ALERT® test can be performed in cases of persistent (4 weeks or more) or recurring (2 episodes within 6 months or more) diarrhea and abdominal pain. Rectal bleeding, weight loss, or anemia may also increase the likelihood of enteritis. The test can be conducted at any time of day. It should not be performed on liquid stool. Therefore, if diarrhea occurs, consult a doctor about the possibility of analyzing liquid stool.
The CALPROTECTIN’ALERT® test is accurate. Evaluation reports indicate an overall agreement of test results with the reference method at 95.4% (90.38–98.18)*. Despite the reliability of the test, false positive and false negative results are possible.