Fecal biomarkers (FBM) reflect the severity of inflammation of the intestinal mucosa to a greater extent compared with similar blood serum markers. Serum markers can change for many reasons, but local inflammation in the intestine does not always correspond to the systemic inflammatory response detected in the blood. To date, many FBMs have been identified, but only a few have been thoroughly studied in children. This article examines in more detail the following promising markers: calprotectin, S100A12, M2-pyruvate kinase, osteoprotegerin, myeloperoxidases, HMGB 1, matrix metalloproteinases, and the currently recommended fecal calprotectin. At the moment, there is no single universal marker that would have high sensitivity, specificity and prognostic ability in both Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC).

Keywords: fecal biomarkers, inflammatory bowel disease