ArticlePloS one2021
Guidance on the interpretation of faecal calprotectin levels in children.
Article in PloS one, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 17 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
17 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 28 citations in OpenAlex.
- The search for gastrointestinal inflammation in autism: a systematic review and meta-analysis of non-invasive gastrointestinal markers.Molecular autism · 2024Pooled it
- Elevated fecal calprotectin values appear more common following esophagogastric than colon surgery.Journal of surgical case reports · 2026Article
- Beyond diagnosis: the emerging role of fecal calprotectin in longitudinal management of pediatric juvenile polyps.Frontiers in pediatrics · 2026Review
- Faecal inflammatory protein markers in children with autism spectrum disorder are comparable to their healthy siblings.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2026Article
- Faecal calprotectin reference ranges in early childhood: a cross-sectional study of healthy infants in Hungary.BMJ paediatrics open · 2025Article
- Noninvasive monitoring with bowel ultrasound (NIMBUS) in paediatric inflammatory bowel disease: Feasibility in a single centre.Journal of pediatric gastroenterology and nutrition · 2025Article
- The Role of Calprotectin in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Inflammatory Bowel Disease.International journal of molecular sciences · 2025Review
- Challenges in the Management of Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Children: A Narrative Review.Clinical and experimental gastroenterology · 2025Review
- FISH-Flow Cytometry Reveals Microbiome-Wide Changes in Post-Translational Modification and Altered Microbial Abundance Among Children with Inflammatory Bowel Disease.Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- Gas Chromatography-Sensor System Aids Diagnosis of Inflammatory Bowel Disease, and Separates Crohn's from Ulcerative Colitis, in Children.Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- Markers of Intestinal Permeability and Inflammation in Enterally Fed Children with Cerebral Palsy.Nutrients · 2024Article
- Fecal calprotectin in pediatric gastrointestinal diseases: Pros and cons.World journal of clinical pediatrics · 2024Article
- Exploring the Diagnostic Spectrum of Children with Raised Faecal Calprotectin Levels.Children (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- Italian guidelines for the management of irritable bowel syndrome in children and adolescents : Joint Consensus from the Italian Societies of: Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Pediatric Nutrition (SIGENP), Pediatrics (SIP), Gastroenterology and Endoscopy (SIGE) and Neurogastroenterology and Motility (SINGEM).Italian journal of pediatrics · 2024Review
- Recent developments in the assessment and management of inflammatory bowel disease in childhood: a narrative review.Translational pediatrics · 2023Review
- Promoting early testing and appropriate referral to reduce diagnostic delay for children with suspected inflammatory bowel disease, a narrative review.Translational pediatrics · 2023Review
- Chronic Nocturnal Abdominal Pain as the Presentation of Inverted Meckel Diverticulum: A Case Report.Children (Basel, Switzerland) · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors at 3 institutions in 3 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundFaecal calprotectin (FCP) is a powerful tool to predict inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in patients with gastrointestinal symptoms. In the paediatric patient population, the reference value of < 50 μg/g and the influence of age on FCP levels result in a high number of redundant investigations and specialist referrals. We assessed paediatric FCP levels, their diagnostic value and corresponding referral pathways from primary and secondary care.
methodsWe analysed two cohorts from a precisely defined catchment area: one consisted of all FCPs measured in this area (n = 2788). The second cohort-a subset of the first cohort-consisted of FCP values and corresponding clinical data from children who were referred for possible IBD to our department (n = 373).
resultsIn the first cohort, 47% of FCP levels were > 50 μg/g, 15% were ≥ 250 μg/g. Children < 1y had significantly (p < 0.001) higher FCP than older children. In the second cohort, 6.7% of children with an FCP of < 250 μg/g (or 8.6% with an FCP of < 600 μg/g) had IBD-all featured symptoms suggestive of IBD (e.g. bloody diarrhoea, nocturnal abdominal pain, weight loss) or abnormal blood tests. 76% of patients in whom raised FCP (> 50 μg/g) was the sole reason for being referred for suspected IBD did not have IBD.
conclusionChildren with an FCP < 600 μg/g and without matching symptoms suggestive of IBD are unlikely to have IBD. A higher FCP reference value may provide cost-effective improvement that could avoid redundant investigations and specialist referrals. A guideline for specialist referrals is proposed.
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