Background: Fecal calprotectin has been extensively investigated as a screening marker for the detection of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). However, there is a complete lack of consensus regarding its efficacy as a diagnostic test.
Objective: The purpose of the present systematic review is to evaluate the effectiveness of fecal calprotectin as a screening marker for the detection of NEC.
Materials and methods: We conducted a systematic review of studies published in the Medline (1966-2016), Scopus (2004-2016), ClinicalTrials.gov (2008-2016), Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials CENTRAL (1999-2016), and Google Scholar (2004-2016) databases, combined with studies found in the reference lists of the included studies. All prospective and retrospective observational cohort studies were included.
Results: Thirteen studies that included 601 neonates were identified in the international literature. The presence and severity of NEC was evaluated with the modified Bell's criteria. Ten studies found significantly elevated fecal calprotectin levels among infants with NEC (p < 0.05). One study found that this effect was observed irrespective of the stage of the disease. Five studies evaluated the efficacy of fecal calprotectin as a diagnostic test. The reported sensitivity ranged between 76 and 100 %, and the specificity varied from 39 to 96.4 %. However, the proposed cut-off values were not similar.
Conclusion: Current evidence suggests that fecal calprotectin is elevated in newborns suffering from NEC. However, its significance as an early screening marker remains unknown. Future studies are needed and should focus on the identification of specific cut-off values.
Keywords: Fecal calprotectin; NEC; Necrotizing enterocolitis; S100A8; S100A9.