A Brief Introduction To Calprotectin

Calprotectin is an inflammatory protein that can be measured with stool testing. Levels up to 50 to 60 are considered normal. If your level is between 60 and up to 150, it’s considered to be moderately elevated. If your levels are over 60, further investigations to identify the cause of the inflammation is recommended.

Blood levels of c-reactive protein give some indication of the extent of inflammation in the body. However, fecal calprotectin is a more sensitive measure of gastrointestinal inflammation.

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It’s essential also to check lysozyme, the other inflammation marker found in stool. I also suggest looking at the levels of beneficial bacteria and harmful bacteria when assessing for gut inflammation.

Calprotectin levels increase if the gut contains high levels of harmful bacteria, such as Klebsiella. High levels of bad bacteria are often present in autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis. Other causes of elevated calprotectin levels are celiac disease, inflammatory bowel disease, and colon cancer.

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