Utility of fecal calprotectin in the diagnosis of inflammatory bowel diseases

Introduction: Inflammatory bowel disease involves two main disorders: Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Colonoscopy with biopsy is considered the gold standard for the diagnosis of IBD, although these are invasive and costly techniques. In recent years, fecal calprotectin has gained relevance as a non-invasive biomarker with significant clinical utility. The effectiveness of fecal calprotectin has been demonstrated in distinguishing between IBD and irritable bowel syndrome, predicting endoscopic and histological activity, as well as disease recurrence.Objective: Review the current literature on the clinical utility of fecal calprotectin in the diagnosis and management of inflammatory bowel diseases.Methods: Systematic review based on the PRISMA method, of studies obtained through searches in Scopus, PubMed, Virtual Health Library, Web of Science, Latindex, and Google Scholar. Primary and secondary studies published in the last five years in English and Spanish were included.Results: Nineteen studies were analyzed, describing high sensitivity and specificity in distinguishing IBD from IBS, helping to reduce the rate of unnecessary colonoscopies in patients with non-specific gastrointestinal symptoms. Additionally, fecal calprotectin was found to significantly correlate with endoscopic and histological activity.Conclusions: Fecal calprotectin is a reliable biomarker of mucosal inflammation, capable of identifying patients with a higher likelihood of having IBD, allowing for better management of colonoscopy resources and reducing associated costs.