Calprotectin Qualitative
Faecal calprotectin is a protein released by inflamed intestinal tissue. This stool test helps distinguish inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) without an invasive procedure.
1 day
Turnaround
Stool
Sample
What the Calprotectin Qualitative test tells you
Calprotectin is a protein carried in large amounts by neutrophils, the white blood cells that rush to sites of inflammation. When the lining of the intestine becomes inflamed, neutrophils cross into the bowel and release calprotectin, which is stable enough to survive the journey through the gut and be measured in a stool sample. That biology is what makes it a direct window onto the intestinal wall without a camera.
Its main clinical value is separating inflammation from irritation. Loose stools, cramping, urgency and bloating are common to both inflammatory bowel disease, meaning Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, and to irritable bowel syndrome, yet the two are managed very differently. Calprotectin is typically raised when the bowel lining is genuinely inflamed and typically not raised in irritable bowel syndrome. That helps a doctor decide who needs a colonoscopy and who can be reassured and managed another way, which can spare someone an uncomfortable procedure they do not need.
This test is reported qualitatively at Intel Lab, meaning it indicates whether calprotectin is present at a level suggesting intestinal inflammation rather than giving a figure to track over time. It is not specific to any one disease: gut infections, anti-inflammatory painkillers and other causes of bowel inflammation raise it too. So it tells you that inflammation is there without naming its cause, and the result is one input into a picture that includes your symptoms, examination, blood tests and, where needed, endoscopy.
Recommended to differentiate IBD from functional disorders like IBS, monitor disease activity in known IBD, and assess treatment response.
The commonest reason to test. Inflammation of the bowel lining raises calprotectin, while irritable bowel syndrome typically does not.
A negative result in someone with low prior suspicion can spare an invasive procedure and support a different line of management.
In someone already diagnosed, the test reflects whether the bowel lining is quiet or actively inflamed, which symptoms alone do not always reveal.
It reads inflammation directly from the gut using a sample you collect at home, with no bowel preparation and no sedation.
Reasons your doctor may request the Calprotectin Qualitative test
Your doctor may order this test for any of the reasons below. Some are routine checks, others follow specific symptoms or an earlier result.
Bowel symptoms
Diarrhoea or a change in bowel habit lasting more than a few weeks.
Abdominal pain with urgency, mucus, or unexplained weight loss.
Investigating a child or adult with unexplained anaemia alongside gut symptoms.
Telling IBD from IBS
Distinguishing inflammatory bowel disease from irritable bowel syndrome before deciding on colonoscopy.
Known inflammatory bowel disease
Monitoring disease activity in someone already diagnosed with Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis.
Assessing whether treatment for inflammatory bowel disease has calmed the bowel lining.
No fasting window — pick any slot that suits you, online or on WhatsApp.
A DHA-licensed nurse collects your sample at home or in the office — free home collection.
A physician-reviewed, easy-to-read report lands securely by WhatsApp and email.
Calprotectin indicates inflammation in the gut.
Calprotectin Qualitative
Calprotectin indicates inflammation in the gut.
The target was not detected — a negative result.
The target was detected — a positive result. Please consult your physician.
This test is reported descriptively rather than on a numeric scale — each finding below explains what your report may say.
This information is for general education only and is not medical advice. Reference ranges can vary by laboratory, age, sex, and individual factors. Always consult your physician or doctor to interpret your results.
What a higher result can point to
- Active inflammatory bowel disease, including Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.
- Bacterial, viral or parasitic gastroenteritis, which inflames the bowel temporarily.
- Regular use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory painkillers, which can irritate the intestinal lining.
- Coeliac disease and other causes of damage to the lining of the small bowel.
- Colorectal polyps or tumours, and inflammation of diverticula.
- Recent bleeding into the gut, since blood carries neutrophils into the stool.
These are possibilities, not diagnoses. A single value outside the reference range is interpreted alongside your symptoms, history and other tests — your doctor decides what it means for you.
What this test cannot tell you
- A raised result shows that inflammation is present but does not say what is causing it or where in the bowel it sits.
- A result that is not raised makes significant bowel inflammation unlikely but does not entirely exclude it, particularly for disease confined to the small intestine.
- Recent anti-inflammatory painkillers, a passing gut infection, or bleeding from any cause can raise the result without inflammatory bowel disease being present.
- A low or negative result has no meaning of its own beyond the absence of detectable intestinal inflammation.
Risks of the blood draw
- Mild bruising or brief soreness where the needle went in.
- Occasional lightheadedness, which settles after a few minutes of rest.
- Bleeding or infection at the site, which is rare with sterile single-use equipment.
- 1Calprotectin comes from white cells in the bowel wall, so it reflects inflammation in the gut itself rather than in the body generally.
- 2Its main job is to help separate inflammatory bowel disease from irritable bowel syndrome.
- 3A raised result points to inflammation but not to a specific diagnosis, and further assessment follows.
- 4Painkillers, gut infections and bleeding can raise it independently of inflammatory bowel disease.
- 5A negative result is reassuring and needs no further explanation in itself.
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about the Calprotectin Qualitative test. Can't find what you're looking for?
Talk to our team→No. It means the lining of your bowel is inflamed. Gut infections, anti-inflammatory painkillers, coeliac disease and other conditions do the same thing. Your doctor uses the result alongside your symptoms and other tests to decide whether endoscopy is the right next step.
Yes. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen, diclofenac and aspirin can irritate the intestinal lining enough to raise calprotectin in someone with no bowel disease at all. Tell the team what you have taken and when, and your doctor may prefer to test after a break from them.
Blood markers of inflammation such as CRP and ESR rise for reasons anywhere in the body. Calprotectin is released into the bowel itself, so it is far more specific to the intestine and can pick up inflammation of the lining that blood tests miss.
That is your doctor's decision. A negative result makes significant bowel inflammation much less likely and often supports managing symptoms without endoscopy, but features such as bleeding, weight loss or a strong family history may still make a direct look worthwhile.
Faecal calprotectin is a protein released by inflamed intestinal tissue. This stool test helps distinguish inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) without an invasive procedure.
Recommended to differentiate IBD from functional disorders like IBS, monitor disease activity in known IBD, and assess treatment response.
No, fasting is not required for the Gut Inflammation Marker test, so you can eat and drink normally beforehand.
The Gut Inflammation Marker test uses a stool sample, collected quickly by our DHA-licensed phlebotomist with minimal discomfort.
Results for the Gut Inflammation Marker test are typically ready within 1 day. You will receive a secure digital report, and your Smart Report highlights anything outside the normal range.
The Gut Inflammation Marker test is AED 370, which includes free home sample collection and a physician-reviewed report. You can also build a custom panel and pay only for the markers you choose.
Yes. A DHA-licensed phlebotomist can collect your sample at home or the office anywhere in Dubai at no extra cost, 7 days a week. See how it works.
It is commonly chosen by all ages. If you are not sure it is right for you, our care team is happy to advise.
Add the Gut Inflammation Marker test to your cart and complete the short booking wizard, choosing home collection or a lab visit. Guest checkout lets you book without creating an account.
Yes. It is processed at our EIAC-accredited laboratory (ISO 15189:2022) under DHA license 0046381 and verified by board-certified pathologists.
Every report includes reference ranges and plain-language notes. If you have questions, our care team can arrange a clinician review — just get in touch.
Absolutely. Add it to a curated health package or bundle it with any of our 160+ biomarkers, often from a single sample in one visit.