Background: Fecal calprotectin (FC) correlates with endoscopic recurrence of Crohn's disease (CD) in adults but has not been studied among children postoperatively. We aimed to analyze whether FC relates with postoperative CD recurrence in children.
Methods: Altogether 51 postoperative endoscopies and FC measurements from 22 patients having undergone surgery for CD at age ≤18years were included.
Results: Ileocecal resection (n=15), small bowel resection (n=6), or left hemicolectomy (n=1) was performed at median age of 15.1 (interquartile range 14.4-17.6) years. Following surgery, FC decreased significantly (659 vs. 103μg/g, p=0.001). During median follow-up of 5.7 (4.2-7.7) years, either endoscopic or histological recurrence occurred in 17 patients (77%). FC >139μg/g at time of endoscopy or FC increase of 79μg/g compared to first postoperative value was suggestive of endoscopic recurrence (Rutgeerts score i2-i4), while FC >101μg/g or increase of 21μg/g indicated histological recurrence. Best accuracy for prediction of recurrence was obtained by combining FC at endoscopy and the postoperative increase of FC. The corresponding AUROC values were 0.74 (95% 0.58-0.89) for endoscopic recurrence whereas 0.81 (95% CI 0.67-0.95) for histological recurrence.
Conclusion: FC is a useful surrogate marker of postoperative recurrence also in pediatric CD patients.
Keywords: Bowel resection; Endoscopy; Inflammatory bowel disease; Pediatrics; Stool tests.
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