Fecal Calprotectin Is a Predictor of Need for Rescue Therapy in Hospitalized Severe Colitis

Link to article at PubMed

Inflamm Bowel Dis. 2022 Feb 4:izac011. doi: 10.1093/ibd/izac011. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Up to one-third of patients hospitalized for acute severe colitis secondary to inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) do not adequately respond to intravenous steroids. There is an unmet need to identify a useful predictor for rescue treatment in this cohort of patients.

AIMS: The aim of this study was to assess the predictive efficacy of fecal calprotectin in identifying the need for medical or surgical therapy in patients with acute severe colitis.

METHODS: We conducted a multicenter retrospective cohort study including patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) who were hospitalized for severe exacerbation of colitis. The primary outcome was the need for in-hospital medical or surgical rescue therapy. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression was performed to identify predictors of rescue therapy.

RESULTS: Our study included 147 patients with UC. One-third (33%) required rescue therapy, and 13% underwent colectomy. Patients requiring rescue therapy had significantly higher fecal calprotectin (mean 1748 mcg/g vs 1353 mcg/g, P = .02) compared with those who did not. A fecal calprotectin >800 mcg/g independently predicted the need for inpatient medical rescue therapy (odds ratio, 2.61; 95% CI, 1.12-6.12). An admission calprotectin >800 mcg/g independently predicted surgery within 3 months (odds ratio, 2.88; 95% CI, 1.01-8.17).

CONCLUSIONS: Fecal calprotectin levels may serve as a useful noninvasive predictor of medical and surgical risk in individuals with UC presenting with acute severe colitis. This approach can facilitate earlier therapeutic interventions and improve outcomes.

PMID:35134899 | DOI:10.1093/ibd/izac011

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