Diagnostic approach to chronic bowel diseases in children

Abstract

Diagnosing inflammatory bowel diseases in children and differentiating them from functional disorders is complicated based on clinical assessment, laboratory data, and radiological, endoscopic, and histological signs. Therefore, in paediatrics, substantial attention has been given to standard invasive evaluation methods. Recently, research efforts have been directed towards using faecal calprotectin as a sensitive non-invasive stool test.
 The aim of the research was to study the diagnostic value of faecal calprotectin in pediatric chronic inflammatory bowel diseases. The paper discusses faecal calprotectin's diagnostic and monitoring role in 35 children aged 3 to 17 years with ulcerative colitis, non-specific non-ulcerative colitis, and irritable bowel syndrome. The concentration of the faecal calprotectin level was examined by ELISA using monoclonal antibodies.
 Results. The study shows that in patients with non-specific ulcerative and non-ulcerative colitis, the faecal calprotectin level exceeds the normal ranges 2-5 times, corresponding to clinical and morphological manifestations of the diseases and the level of inflammatory markers. However, this biological marker does not exceed the average values in children with irritable bowel syndrome.
 Conclusions. The faecal calprotectin test allows us to differentiate organic and functional intestinal diseases, monitor chronic inflammatory bowel disease activity dynamics, and estimate treatment effectiveness. Applying the faecal calprotectin test within the framework of primary medical care can decrease the number of referrals for invasive endoscopic, laboratory, and radiologic examinations in pediatric patients with inflammatory bowel diseases