Fecal calprotectin (FC) is a calcium and zinc binding protein that is present in neutrophil granulocytes and is detected in the stool samples from subjects with inflammatory bowel disease and similar organic gastrointestinal pathologies. Fibromyalgia is often accompanied by irritable bowel syndrome, which is a non-inflammatory, functional disorder of the gastrointestinal tract. Due to the chronic nature of the disease, fibromyalgia patients' new symptoms related to underlying gastrointestinal organic disease may be overlooked. In this study we aimed to assess the FC levels in fibromyalgia patients and healthy controls in order to detect a possible difference in FC levels between patients with and without gastrointestinal symptoms.
This study was designed to evaluate fecal calprotectin levels in patients with fibromyalgia syndrome. Fecal calprotectin levels from fibromyalgia patients with and without gastrointestinal symptoms as well as healthy controls will be measured and compared.