COMPARATIVE UTILITY OF CRP, ESR, FECAL CALPROTECTIN, AND LACTOFERRIN IN ASSESSING INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE ACTIVITY: A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW

Inflammatory bowel disease(IBD)is a common and serious inflammatory disease of the gastrointestinal tract characterized by recurrent episodes of chronic inflammation presenting as nausea,vomiting,bloody diarrhea,and weight loss.The pathophysiology of IBD consists of complex mechanisms involving genetic predisposition,dysregulated immune response,environmental factors,and alterations in the gut microbiome.Recurrent mucosal inflammation is often detected by colonoscopy,the gold standard for diagnosing IBD;however,its high cost and invasive nature make it inaccessible to most patients.Noninvasive,inexpensive,yet accurate indicators of mucosal inflammation can also be measured via serum and fecal markers,including erythrocyte sedimentation rate(ESR),C reactive protein(CRP),fecal calprotectin(FCP),and fecal lactoferrin(FL).Recent research highlights the significance of utilizing non-invasive markers as first line testing to screen patients prior to recommending colonoscpies.Currently,there are numerous studies investigating the accuracy of these markers in IBD.This review will summarize current findings to assess the clinical value of these markers for predicting disease severity and risk of relapse.By utilizing these markers,physicians can monitor disease activity and make treatment decisions, reducing the need for invasive procedures.