Effect of faecal calprotectin assay variability on the management of inflammatory bowel disease and potential role of faecal S100A12.

Aims: To prospectively evaluate whether between-assay variability of different faecal calprotectin (f-Cp) assays influences diagnostic accuracy for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in a cohort of patients with confirmed IBD and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). To also evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of faecal S100A12 (f-S100A12) against f-Cp in the same patient cohort and assess whether f-S100A12 offers additional diagnostic value.

Methods: F-Cp using four commercially available f-Cp assays, f-S100A12 and blood biomarkers were measured in patients, recruited from the local IBD clinic, who had established IBS or active ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD).

Vitamin D: a negative acute phase reactant.

Objective: We evaluated the effect of the systemic inflammatory response (SIR), as provoked by elective orthopaedic surgery, on serum vitamin D [25-(OH)D].

Methods: Serum 25-(OH)D, serum vitamin D binding protein (VDBP) and urinary VDBP were measured in 30 patients before and 48-hours after knee or hip arthroplasty. C-reactive protein (CRP) was measured to assess the SIR.