Role of Fecal Calprotectin as an Inflammatory Biomarker in Obesity and Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Adolescents

The prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is rising along with obesity, attributed to chronic low-grade inflammation and changes in the enterohepatic axis linked to obesity. The current study investigated the effectiveness of fecal calprotectin (FC) as an inflammatory biomarker in obesity and NAFLD.

This prospective controlled study involved 31 obese adolescents, and 10 healthy peers aged 10 to 18 from November 2022 to August 2023. Obesity was defined as a body mass index greater than 2 standard deviations above the mean. The obese participants were categorized into two groups: 11 with obesity alone and 20 with obesity plus NAFLD, diagnosed through biochemical tests or ultrasound. FC levels and laboratory parameters were assessed in the study group, while only FC was measured in the control group. Comparisons of anthropometric and laboratory data were made across the groups. 

The results revealed:

• The median FC levels were significantly different: 136.23 µg/g in the obese + NAFLD group, 61.77 µg/g in the obese group, and 38.95 µg/g in healthy controls.
• Remarkable difference between the obese + NAFLD group and the control group, with no notable differences between the control and obese groups, or between the obese and obese + NAFLD groups. 
• Additionally, FC positivity rates were 20% in controls, 54.5% in the obese group, and 75% in the obese + NAFLD group.

To summarize, although FC levels were found to be significantly elevated in obese adolescents in contrast to healthy individuals, no remarkable differences were observed between obese adolescents and those with NAFLD. Additional research is warranted to explore this topic further.

Source: Dinçer BT, Usta AM, Kural A, Helvacı N, Uçar A, Urgancı N. Can fecal calprotectin be used as a biomarker of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in obese adolescents? BMC Pediatr. 2024 Dec 23;24(1):834. doi: 10.1186/s12887-024-05327-4. Erratum in: BMC Pediatr. 2025 Jan 8;25(1):16. doi: 10.1186/s12887-025-05392-3. PMID: 39716084; PMCID: PMC11665081.