الفهرس 
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Abstract
Axial SpA is a chronic immune-mediated disease. One of the main routes of the disease pathogenesis is the presence of subclinical intestinal inflammation. Lipocalin-2 is an anti-microbial protein participating in inflammation and bone homeostasis. It can used as a link between gut inflammation and AS. Fecal calprotectin is a neutrophil-selective protein that relates quantitatively to the neutrophil flux to the gastrointestinal tract so it can be used as a marker of gut inflammation.
The aim of this work was to evaluate fecal calprotectin and LCN-2 and their associations with subclinical intestinal inflammation and disease activity in AS.
This study was conducted on 30 subjects, 15 were axial SpA (8 nonradiographic, 7 radiographic) and 15 healthy controls. Full history, clinical examination, routine lab investigations and radiology were done for all subjects. Blood and fecal samples were collected from all subjects and were tested for the following: ESR and CRP, HLA-B27, Fecal calprotectin and LCN-2. Disease activity scores as BASDI, ASDAS-ESR and ASDAS-CRP were evaluated for all patients. Disability scores as BASMI, BASFI, ASQOL and HAQ were done for all patients. Enthesitis was assessed using MASES score.
Our results revealed that there was significant correlation between the level of LCN-2 and disease activity. Also, there was a significant correlation between the level of fecal calprotectin and disease activity. There was a significant correlation between LCN-2 and fecal calprotectin, so they can be used as biomarkers for subclinical intestinal inflammation.
Our study concluded that fecal calprotectin and LCN-2 can be used as biomarkers for axial SpA disease activity and for early identification of subclinical intestinal inflammation in AS patients.