Study On Correlations Of Calprotectin And Bifidobacterium With Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Objective: Calprotectin is a calcium-binding protein with anti-pro- tease properties in the presence of calcium, and its activities keep stable without destroyed by enzymes and bacteria in enteric cavity and in vivo. It represents a marker of activity of inflammatory cells. Increased levels of fecal Calprotectin are found in inflammatory bowel disease, suggesting it is a reliable and easy marker to differentiate functional from organic bowel diseases. Bifidobacterium, the predominant bacteria in intestine tract, plays an important role in maintaining a normal and acid intestinal env- ironment and preventing infection. Therefore it is important to know the contents of Bifidobacterium in intestine and to evaluate the intestinal micro ecology. It is helpful to prevent and treat with bowel diseases related to dysbacteria.To evaluate anti-infective mechanisms of predominant bacteria, according to the correlation of fecal Calprotectin with Bifidobacterium in patients with irritable bowel syndrome. This study submitted the funda- mental research of utilizing Bifidobacterium to prevent and control irritable bowel syndrome. Calprotectin and Bifidobacterium was not only used to evaluate the activity of the disease, but was a marker to predict the recurrence and to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy. To investigate the role of Calpretectin and Bifidobacterium in intestine infectious diseases.Methods:1. Subjects: A total of 30 patients with irritable bowel syndrome were enrolled in this study: 18 men, 12 women; aged averaged 42 years old; were diagnose between January to December in 2008, in Dalian 2nd People's Hospital. 30 health adults were selected as controls: aged between 29 to 64 years old; were performed health examinations between March to December in 2008, in Dalian 2nd People's Hospital.2. Sampling: Fresh fecal specimen were sampled in the middle of the stool. 0.5 gram of the samples were diluted in 4.5ml asepsis fluid and were diluted 10-fold continuously. Then samples of every gradient concentration was incubated with Bifidobacterium selective medium under anaerobic conditions, at 37℃, for 72 hours.3. Fecal Calprotectin of the 60 samples were quantitated by ELISA.Results:1. The number of Bifidobacterium in healthy controls was signify- cantly higher than that in patients with irritable bowel syndrome detected with quantitative culture method (P <0.001).2. ELISA quantitively detected Calprotectin in healthy controls was significantly higher than that in patients with irritable bowel syndrome(P<0.001).3. Pearson's correlation analysis showed Calprotectin were correlated with the number of Bifidobacterium in control group and irritable bowel syndrome group (r=0.885, P<0.001).Conclusions: Calprotectin and the number of Bifidobacterium in patients with irritable bowel syndrome are decreased. Bifidobacterium may be one of the factors to stabilize Calprotectin in body.