Relationship between fecal calprotectin level and disease activity in patients with hidradenitis suppurativa

BACKGROUND: Hidradenitis suppurativa is a chronic, inflammatory, recurrent disease with recurrent abscesses, and sinus tract formation leading to scarring. Calprotectin has immunomodulatory, antimicrobial, and antiproliferative properties and is a calcium-binding protein primarily found in the neutrophil cytoplasm. In recent years, a significant relationship between the activity of various diseases and the level of calprotectin has led to the conclusion that there may be a similar relationship in hidradenitis suppurativa. OBJECTIVE: To determine the relationship between disease activity and fecal calprotectin levels in patients with hidradenitis suppurativa. METHODS: Fifty patients with hidradenitis suppurativa (case group) who present to the Dermatology and Venerology Department between December 6, 2017, and April 6, 2018, and 36 healthy volunteers (control group) were enrolled in our study. Fecal calprotectin levels we requantitatively calculated using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: In patients with active hidradenitis suppurativa, the level of stool calprotectin was higher than that of patientsin remission, and this difference was statistically significant (p < .001). There was no statistically significant correlation between disease stage and fecal calprotectin levels in patients with hidradenitis suppurativa (p = .14). Age, sex, smoking and alcohol use, anti-TNF-α treatment, and fecal calprotectin levels were not significantly correlated. In our study, fecal calprotectin levels in patients with active hidradenitis suppurativa were higher than inpatients in remission (p < .001). CONCLUSION: Fecal calprotectin can beused as a marker of disease activity in hidradenitis suppurativa.