Faecal calprotectin diagnostic tests for inflammatory diseases of the bowel

2.1 Several technologies that measure the level of calprotectin in stool samples (faecal calprotectin) were evaluated, including fully quantitative laboratory-based tests, fully quantitative rapid tests and semi-quantitative point‑of‑care tests. Faecal calprotectin is excreted in excess into the intestinal lumen during the inflammatory process and so can act as a marker for inflammatory diseases of the lower gastrointestinal tract. The tests are intended to help distinguish between inflammatory bowel diseases and non‑inflammatory bowel diseases. Additional details are provided in section 4.