Sampling endoscopically normal large bowel mucosa from patients presenting with elevated faecal calprotectin levels is not clinically justified.

Aims And Methods: Faecal calprotectin (FCP) measurement is used especially to investigate for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). To assess the utility of sampling endoscopically normal large bowel among patients first presenting with elevated FCP, this study identified 115 such patients out of 652 patients with elevated FCP from approximately 6000 primary care tests processed over 15 months.

Results: 23 cohort patients showed histologically abnormal large bowel biopsies.

Abnormalities of serum-free light chain in patients with primary antibody deficiency in the absence of B lymphocyte clonality.

Aims: A review of practice to determine whether serum-free light chain (SFLC) assays are helpful in detecting underlying clonal B-cell disorders or amyloidosis in patients with primary antibody deficiency (PAD) and recurrent infection.

Methods: SFLC were assayed by nephelometry (BN2 nephelometer, Siemens; FREELITE assay, Binding Site). We reviewed SFLC test results recorded in our regional laboratory over a 4-year time period; 20 adults with PAD were identified as having been tested on at least two occasions.