RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Calprotectin instability may lead to undertreatment in children with IBD JF Archives of Disease in Childhood JO Arch Dis Child FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health SP archdischild-2018-316584 DO 10.1136/archdischild-2018-316584 A1 Sjoukje-Marije Haisma A1 Patrick Ferry van Rheenen A1 Lucie Wagenmakers A1 Anneke Muller Kobold YR 2019 UL http://adc.bmj.com/content/early/2019/06/10/archdischild-2018-316584.abstract AB Background Treatment decisions in children with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are increasingly based on longitudinal tracking of faecal calprotectin concentrations, but there is little known about the stability of this protein in stool.Methods We stored aliquots of homogenised stool at room temperature and at 4°C, and measured the calprotectin concentration for 6 consecutive days with three different assays. In addition, we assessed calprotectin stability in assay-specific extraction buffers kept at room temperature.Results After 6 days of storage at room temperature, mean percentage change from baseline calprotectin concentrations in stool and extraction buffer was 35% and 46%, respectively. The stability of calprotectin was significantly better preserved in samples stored at 4°C (p=0.0066 and 0.0011, respectively).Conclusions Calprotectin is not stable at room temperature. Children with IBD and their caretakers may be falsely reassured by low calprotectin values. The best advisable standard for preanalytical calprotectin handling is refrigeration of the stool sample until delivery at the hospital laboratory.