Fecal eosinophil cationic protein as a marker of active disease and treatment outcome in collagenous colitis: a pilot study.

Background and aims. Fecal calprotectin (FC) is used as a marker for intestinal inflammation in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) but there is no reliable marker for collagenous colitis (CC). We have previously demonstrated that the mucosal inflammation in CC is characterized by eosinophil activation, which is restored during budesonide treatment, but there is no enhanced neutrophil activity. The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of fecal eosinophil cationic protein (F-ECP) and eosinophil protein X (F-EPX) compared with the neutrophil-derived myeloperoxidase (F-MPO) and FC in patients treated for active CC. Methods. Patients with active CC (n = 12) were studied before and after 3, 7, 28 and 56 days of budesonide treatment. Clinical symptoms and stool frequency were recorded, fecal samples were collected, and F-ECP, F-EPX, F-MPO and FC were measured at each occasion. Results. All but one patient achieved remission. On inclusion 92%, 67%, 67% and 75% of the patients had elevated F-ECP, F-EPX, F-MPO and FC levels, respectively. All markers decreased during the treatment, particularly F-ECP and F-EPX, which decreased after only 3 days. At the end of the study 100%, 92%, 83% and 75% of the patients had normal F-ECP, F-EPX, F-MPO and FC values, respectively. Conclusion. F-ECP demonstrated the best discriminating capacity in detecting active CC. A normalized F-ECP and F-EPX may further be studied as a marker for successful treatment. During budesonide treatment there is a rapid fall in F-ECP and F-EPX, accompanied by clinical improvement, indicating an essential role for the eosinophil participating in the pathophysiology of CC.