SENSIBILIDAD Y ESPECIFICIDAD DE LAS PRUEBAS DE LABORATORIO CLÍNICO EN LA DETECCIÓN DE LA ACTIVIDAD DE LA ENFERMEDAD INFLAMATORIA INTESTINAL DEL COLON

Abstract

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) encompasses chronic inflammatory disorders of the intestine, primarily Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Characterized by periods of inflammation and remission, it manifests with symptoms such as diarrhea and abdomi n a l pain. Biomarkers play a crucial role in its clinical management, facilitating non-invas i v e evaluations and guiding therapeutic decisions. Although erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein (CRP) are widely used due to their accessibility, fecal biomarkers, such as calprotectin and lactoferrin, offer greater reliability and specificity. ESR, which indicates the rate of red blood cell sedimentation, increases in the presenc e of inflammation, but is nonspecific. CRP, sensitive to inflammation, shows signific a n t values in IBD. In contrast, fecal calprotectin and fecal lactoferrin, released by neutroph il s in the inflamed intestinal mucosa, are highly sensitive and specific. Calprotectin values greater than 100ug/g suggest IBD, and high lactoferrin values support the different i a l diagnosis. Serologic markers, such as anti-Saccharomyces cerevisiae antibodies (ASCA) and antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA), aid in the distinction betwee n Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, but lack specificity.