Gentian is excited to participate at the Deutscher Rheumatologiekongress 2024, scheduled from September 18-21 in Düsseldorf, Germany. During this event, Gentian will present its circulating calprotectin immunoassay and discuss the biomarker's role in rheumatology.
Calprotectin is an acute-phase protein, a heterodimer of S100A8 and S100A9, highly expressed by neutrophils. During inflammation, neutrophils migrate to the inflammatory site and secrete large amounts of calprotectin acting as a soluble proinflammatory mediator. Once released, calprotectin can enter the systemic circulation, where its levels in serum and plasma serve as a direct indicator of joint inflammatory activity.1-4
Calprotectin in serum and plasma has been described as valuable biomarker in several chronic inflammatory conditions, including multiple rheumatic conditions. It has been reported to correlate with and partly outperform clinical disease activity scores, ultrasound and other inflammatory biomarkers. Calprotectin’s bio-marker potential is reported in diagnosis and differentiation, prediction of treatment response and flares, as well as treatment monitoring.1-4
Incorporating calprotectin testing into clinical practice could significantly enhance disease management by enabling early detection of disease activity, providing a more accurate assessment of treatment response, and facilitating timely identification of disease relapse.
Since the concentration of circulating calprotectin reflects the degree of inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), it can provide valuable assessment of disease activity, treatment response and relapse. Calprotectin has been proven to be a very sensitive biomarker, allowing detection of even low disease activity distinguishing it from remission.5, 6 This is in contrast to C-reactive protein (CRP) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), which are low in 40% of patients despite active disease.5-7
RA patients are often treated with a wide range of medications, some of which indirectly lower downstream levels of CRP. Calprotectin can therefore be a useful biomarker when CRP is normal or difficult to interpret, such as in patients treated with therapies that suppress interleukin-6 (IL-6) or tumour necrosis factor (TNF).8-11 In addition to direct treatment monitoring, calprotectin can also independently predict disease relapse guiding patient monitoring and treatment decisions.12
The GCAL® assay is intended for quantitative determination of calprotectin in plasma and serum as an aid in detection and assessment of inflammation and inflammatory response to infections. GCAL® is a Particle-Enhanced Turbidimetric Immunoassay (PETIA) that can be applied on a wide range of automated clinical chemistry analysers. Specifically using avian antibodies in this test, results in the distinct benefit avoiding common interference (namely rheumatoid factor and HAMA antibodies).
GCAL® is the first available (since 2019) turbidimetric assay for circulating calprotectin. It is CE-marked and IVDR certified, in addition to other regional registrations.*
All kit components are ready-to-use with calibrator and dedicated controls. Additionally, the reagent kit is available in two different sizes, catering to the diverse needs of laboratories, from smaller laboratories to high-volume routine users.
Explore GCAL® in your clinical practice and laboratory - fill out the form or send an email to marketing@gentian.com for more information about the product and prices.
*This website may contain information about products that are not registered for use in your country of residence and may not comply with applicable laws or regulations in that country. We do not take any responsibility for accessing such information in those circumstances.