A major prospective study identifies fecal calprotectin as a key non-invasive biomarker for predicting and monitoring gastrointestinal graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.
The research, involving 165 adult patients, found that over half developed gastrointestinal GVHD. Measuring fecal calprotectin at key intervals provided significant predictive power. On day 21 post-transplant, a threshold of 52.5 µg/g offered 75% sensitivity and 87% specificity for identifying at-risk patients.
The biomarker also showed a strong correlation with endoscopic disease activity, suggesting it reflects mucosal inflammation directly. Notably, levels dropped significantly within one week of starting treatment, indicating its utility for monitoring therapeutic response.
While fecal calprotectin levels can rise in other inflammatory conditions, researchers conclude it is a dynamic marker across the disease management continuum, from risk prediction to treatment monitoring.