Faecal Calprotectin Assay Range

Your Complete Choice from the UK Experts

With extensive experience in faecal diagnostic indicators Alpha Laboratories has championed calprotectin testing for more than a decade and supported the NICE review (DG 11) of calprotectin for differentiation between IBS and IBD.

As calprotectin testing has developed, the BÜHLMANN assay range has continued to evolve. This has enabled us to work in partnership with clinics and laboratories, providing solutions for improved patient care and management, throughout the pathway for both screening and monitoring.

What is Faecal Calprotectin?

Faecal calprotectin is a reliable, proven protein biomarker that enables non-invasive differentiation between patients with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and those with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). The simple diagnostic test is helping to improve patient care and reduce health care costs by screening out IBS patients and preventing the need for unnecessary endoscopy procedures.

It is also proving helpful in monitoring known IBD patients to predict potential relapse and adjust medication accordingly.

Alpha Laboratories is the exclusive UK partner for BÜHLMANN Calprotectin, supporting the full range of calprotectin assay kit formats, and has many years of expertise in this area.

Applications

The symptoms of organic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and those of functional disorders such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) can be very similar in presentation. Measurement of faecal calprotectin is considered a reliable indicator of inflammation and numerous studies show that while faecal calprotectin concentrations are significantly elevated in patients with IBD, patients suffering from IBS do not have increased calprotectin levels. Such increased levels in a calprotectin test are shown to correlate well with both endoscopic and histological assessment of disease activity.

In 2013 NICE published it’s Diagnostics Guidance DG11 that recommended that the faecal calprotectin test be used to help doctors distinguish between IBDs, such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, and non-inflammatory bowel diseases, such as IBS.

Differential diagnosis:
Excellent negative predictive value enabling non-invasive differentiation between organic IBD and functional IBS.

Therapy monitoring: Ensure compliance and successful therapy by detecting a decrease in calprotectin levels.

Relapse prediction: An increase in calprotectin can be an indicator for possible IBD relapse in the future

Alpha Laboratories has a range of calprotectin test formats to best suit your needs.

IB Doc® patient self-testing for IBD monitoring from home
Quantum Blue ® - Rapid Assays for Point of Care and low throughput use
BÜHLMANN fCAL ® ELISA - High throughput laboratory testing.
Automation available on the Dynex DS2™ ELISA Processing System.
BÜHLMANN fCAL ® turbo - High throughput open access turbidimetric assay,
For clinical chemistry platforms and automation on track systems.

Assay	Method	Time to Result	Sample Type	Standard Range	Sensitivity (LoQ)
Assay	Method	Time to Result	Sample Type	Standard Range	Sensitivity (LoQ)	Quantum Blue® fCAL	Lateral Flow	15 min (approx.)	60 µl faeces extract	100-1800 µg/g / 30 -1000 µg/g *
Assay	Method	Time to Result	Sample Type	Standard Range	Sensitivity (LoQ)	BÜHLMANN fCAL® ELISA	ELISA	2 h (approx.)	50-150 µl faeces extract	10-600 µg/g / 30-1800 µg/g **	10 µg/g
Assay	Method	Time to Result	Sample Type	Standard Range	Sensitivity (LoQ)	BÜHLMANN fCAL® turbo	Immuno turbidimetric	10 min (approx.)	less than 1 g	20-8000 µg/g	22 µg/g
* depending on which kit is used ** depending on which protocol is used

Benefits

Historically, clinical gastroenterologists have had to use invasive endoscopy to differentially diagnose between IBD and IBS. Not only is this stressful for the patient it carries a certain risk and is costly and time consuming for the NHS and other healthcare providers.

Using faecal calprotectin testing screens out IBS patients with an in vitro test, preventing the need for unnecessary endoscopy procedures.

BÜHLMANN calprotectin assays are: