IMMUNOCHEMICAL DETECTION OF HUMAN LACTOFERRIN IN FECES AS A NEW MARKER FOR INFLAMMATORY GASTROINTESTINAL DISORDERS AND COLON-CANCER

We have developed a new immunochemical test for fecal lactoferrin (LF) utilizing an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The ELISA had a sensitivity of about 10 mu g/L of lactoferrin and the measurable ra nge was 10.0-1000.0 mu g/L (1.0- 100.0 mu g LF/g feces). The stability of lactoferrin in feces was greater than that of myeloperoxidase and leucocyte elastase. The fecal concentration of lactoferrin (mean +/- S D) in 35 normal subjects was 0.75 +/- 0.83 mu g/g feces, whereas that in 24 patients with colon cancer was 74.4 +/- 88.3 mu g/g feces. The f ecal lactoferrin concentration of 38 patient with active ulcerative co litis was 307.4 +/- 233.9 mu/g feces, and that in 36 patients with act ive Crohn's disease was 191.7 +/- 231.1 mu g/g feces. The ELISA for hu man fecal lactoferrin might be useful in the diagnosis of colon diseas e.