Over the past year, interest in circulating calprotectin has moved from emerging curiosity to clear clinical demand, and GCAL® continued to gain adoption in routine clinical practice. We have observed growing clinician uptake, clearer patterns in how calprotectin is being used in patient care, and an expanding scientific evidence base that further strengthens the clinical relevance of calprotectin in the management of inflammatory diseases. Rheumatologists are increasingly seeking an inflammation marker that offer sensitivity, speed, and reliability across patient groups, particularly those for whom traditional inflammation markers fall short.
What follows is a consolidated summary from recent international rheumatology conferences, newly published literature, and clinical use case. The message is consistent: calprotectin is rapidly becoming recognised as an essential biomarker in inflammatory rheumatic diseases (IRDs), with growing expectations for fast, accessible, high-quality testing solutions.
Over the past months, our team has engaged with clinicians and researchers at multiple international rheumatology meetings. The discussions consistently reinforced what we observe in the field: calprotectin is gaining recognition as a powerful tool in the management of IRDs. Clinicians highlighted both its clinical relevance and the practical barriers that currently limit broader routine use.
Across the events, awareness of circulating calprotectin was remarkably high. Clinicians expressed clear interest in incorporating calprotectin into their daily workflows, citing its potential value across a wide range of IRDs. Feedback spanned from acknowledgement of the EULAR/PReS recommendation for Still’s disease diagnosis to a clear desire for a sensitive and pathway-independent marker in conditions such as Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA), vasculitis, Psoriatic Arthritis (PsA) and Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA).
For calprotectin to fully support clinical decision-making, results need to be available alongside standard inflammatory markers, not days or weeks later. Many clinicians shared that delayed results when using ELISA assays reduce the utility of calprotectin, particularly when assessing disease activity or supporting treatment decisions.
In RA patients treated with IL-6 inhibitors such as tocilizumab or sarilumab, traditional inflammation markers lose their diagnostic value. C-reactive protein (CRP) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) are directly suppressed by IL-6 blockade, often appearing normal despite active disease. This creates a significant gap in objective disease assessing difficult and may mask ongoing synovitis or impending flares.
Circulating calprotectin (S100A8/A9) addresses this challenge. Released by activated neutrophils and monocytes at inflamed sites, calprotectin reflects local immune activation and is independent of IL-6 regulation. As a result, it remains elevated when inflammation is present, even when CRP and ESR are fully suppressed.1-3
Calprotectin provides a dependable, IL-6-independent measure of disease activity, offering rheumatologists an objective and clinically relevant tool for assessing patients on biologic therapies. It fills a critical gap where conventional markers like CRP and ESR fail.
Research activity around circulating calprotectin continues to accelerate, with an expanding body of evidence supporting its relevance across a wide range of inflammatory rheumatic diseases. Below are selected contributions from this year that reflect the breadth and depth of current scientific interest:
New findings presented at the Joint European Neonatal Societies (jENS) Congress 2025 highlight serum calprotectin as a sensitive early biomarker for neonatal infections. The study, conducted with University Children’s Hospital Regensburg (KUNO) and Hospital St. Hedwig, evaluated calprotectin measured with the Gentian GCAL® Calprotectin Immunoassay (GCAL®) against CRP and IL-6 across the first 60 hours after symptom onset, and the new evidence support the use of calprotectin as a reliable early infection marker in neonatal care.
Earliest rise: Calprotectin increased within 0-18 hours and remained elevated, outperforming CRP and complementing IL-6.
Robust diagnostic performance: Strong standalone accuracy with added value when combined with IL-6 early and CRP later.
Supports antibiotic stewardship: Enables earlier treatment in true infections and helps reduce unnecessary antibiotic exposure.
Easy implementation: GCAL®, requires minimal sample volume and fits seamlessly into automated lab workflows.
Together, these data position calprotectin as a practical and powerful biomarker for early detection of neonatal infections and improved antibiotic decision-making.
Interested in the topic? Learn more here.
The GCAL® assay is designed for the quantitative determination of calprotectin in plasma and serum, intended as an aid in detection and assessment of inflammation and inflammatory response to infections. As the first turbidimetric assay available since 2019, GCAL® offers distinct advantages:
Interested in implementing GCAL® in your laboratory or clinical setting? Share your details and we will contact you to discuss next steps.
Inciarte-Mundo J et al. Calprotectin more accurately discriminates the disease status of rheumatoid arthritis patients receiving tocilizumab than acute phase reactants. Rheumatology (Oxford). 2015
*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.