Intestinal fatty acid-binding protein as a sensitive marker of intestinal ischemia

Abstract

Determination of the serum level of intestinal fatty acid-binding protein has been used to detect rat intestinal ischemia following ligation or 30-min occlusion of the superior mesenteric artery. The normal values were under the minimal detectable level of less than 2 ng/ml in all the 10 rats. The serum fatty acid-binding protein level increased rapidly, to 340.7 +/- 54.6, 438.5 +/- 40.1, 388.1 +/- 37.4, and 292.2 +/- 95.7 ng/ml (P less than 0.01) at 1, 2, 4, and 8 hr after ligation, respectively. It also increased, to 347.2 +/- 127.7 ng/ml (P less than 0.01) at 1 hr, after a 30-min transient occlusion and then returned to a normal level. Histological studies showed destruction of the villi, disappearance of the mucosa, and transmural necrosis with the progress of time after ligation, while no remarkable morphological change was observed following 30-min transient occlusion. These observations strongly suggest that the intestinal fatty acid-binding protein is a useful biochemical marker for intestinal ischemia, particularly in the early reversible phase.

Diagnosis of ischemic small bowel disease by measurement of serum intestinal fatty acid-binding protein in patients with acute abdomen: a multicenter, observer-blinded validation study

“…I-FABP failed to exceed the specificity of CPK and LDH, two commonly used biochemical markers related to the small bowel. In our previous animal study [8], CPK was elevated at the stage of obvious ischemia in which necrosis extended to the muscular layer of the small bowel. In contrast, the serum I-FABP level was elevated to as high as 300 ng/ml following 30-min occlusion of the superior mesenteric artery, which caused reversible ischemia that was not associated with morphological changes in the small bowel mucosa.…”

“…These features of I-FABPa cytosolic protein with a low molecular mass and abundant and specific localization in the intestinal epitheliummake it potentially suitable as a blood marker for the diagnosis of small bowel disease. We have previously shown, using rat experimental models, that the serum I-FABP level increases rapidly in the very early stages of small bowel ischemia [8]. Furthermore, we have demonstrated by analyzing human clinical samples that the serum I-FABP level is elevated in patients with occlusion of the superior mesenteric artery or strangulated obstruction of the bowel [9,10].…”

Procalcitonin and intestinal ischemia: A review of the literature

“…With a view to improving the preoperative diagnosis, some researchers have suggested measuring several biomarkers: L and D-lactate [9][10][11] , leukocytes [11,12] , α glutathione S-transferase (αGST) [12][13][14] , diamine oxidase [15] , trehalase [16] , alcohol dehydrogenase [17] ), intestinal fatty acid binding protein [18][19][20] , and D-dimer [21] . Whilst most of these markers prove to be accurate in preclinical studies, their use in clinical practice has been limited by several shortcomings (lack of sensitivity and specificity; poor assay reproducibility and the presence of species-specific metabolites).…”

Intestinal Permeability in Irritable Bowel Syndrome Patients: Effects of NSAIDs

“…Enhanced intestinal permeability may also result from intestinal ischemia and enterocyte death. This was evaluated from the release of intestinal fatty acid-binding protein (I-FABP) into urine [25][26][27].…”