Diagnosis of non-IgE mediated food allergy presents a special challenge due to lack of a single, non-invasive diagnostic method. We selected three fecal biomarkers of allergic inflammation of gastrointestinal origin in order to improve the diagnostic process. Twenty-seven infants with symptoms of hematochezia were prospectively enrolled into this study. All patients underwent a complete differential diagnosis of rectal bleeding. Non-IgE mediated food allergy was confirmed by an open, oral food challenge. The control group included twenty-five infants with functional gastrointestinal disorders. Eosinophil-derived neurotoxin (EDN), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα), and calprotectin concentration were measured in stools of all children by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) using commercial kits. Median eosinophil-derived neurotoxin and calprotectin fecal levels were significantly higher in the study group than in the control group (p < 0.05). The difference of fecal tumor necrosis factor alpha concentration between both groups was not statistically significant (p > 0.05). The best diagnostic performance was reached in a combination of fecal calprotectin (fCal) and EDN i.e., 88.9% and 84%, respectively. Fecal EDN and fCAl are reliable tools in differentiating between food protein-induced allergic proctocolitis and gastrointestinal functional disorders in infants.
Keywords: calprotectin; eosinophil derived neurotoxin; fecal biomarkers; food allergy; infant; tumor necrosis factor α.