Fecal calprotectin concentrations in patients with small intestinal bacterial overgrowth.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) is defined by any condition in which the proximal part of the small bowel harbors for a long time > 10(5) bacteria/ml of the intestinal juice. No data are currently available about direct or indirect parameters indicating the presence of leukocytes in the gut wall and mucosal neutrophil turnover in patients with SIBO. In our pilot study we evaluate fecal calprotectin concentrations (FCC) in patients with SIBO in order to identify a possible presence of subclinical intestinal inflammation.

METHODS

40 consecutive patients with SIBO resulting positive to hydrogen glucose breath test, and 40 adult healthy volunteers were included in the study. FCC were determined by ELISA. Mean FCC were compared by means of the t-test for independent samples.

RESULTS

FCC in patients with SIBO were not significantly different compared to controls (p = 0.907).

CONCLUSION

Our study shows for the first time that FCC in patients with SIBO do not significantly differ from controls, suggesting that in SIBO there are no intestinal subclinical inflammatory changes involving principally the neutrophils.