Lactoferrin
- Also Known As:
- Fecal Lactoferrin
- Stool Lactoferrin
- Fecal WBC Non-microscopic

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At a Glance
Why Get Tested?
To detect inflammation in the intestines; to help identify active inflammatory bowel disease (IBD); to distinguish between IBD and non-inflammatory bowel conditions; to monitor IBD activity
When To Get Tested?
When you have bloody or watery diarrhea, abdominal cramps, with or without fever, lasting more than a few days
Sample Required?
A stool sample collected in a clean container
Test Preparation Needed?
None
You may be able to find your test results on your laboratory’s website or patient portal. However, you are currently at Testing.com. You may have been directed here by your lab’s website in order to provide you with background information about the test(s) you had performed. You will need to return to your lab’s website or portal, or contact your healthcare practitioner in order to obtain your test results.
Testing.com is an award-winning patient education website offering information on laboratory tests. The content on the site, which has been reviewed by laboratory scientists and other medical professionals, provides general explanations of what results might mean for each test listed on the site, such as what a high or low value might suggest to your healthcare practitioner about your health or medical condition.
The reference ranges for your tests can be found on your laboratory report. They are typically found to the right of your results.
If you do not have your lab report, consult your healthcare provider or the laboratory that performed the test(s) to obtain the reference range.
Laboratory test results are not meaningful by themselves. Their meaning comes from comparison to reference ranges. Reference ranges are the values expected for a healthy person. They are sometimes called “normal” values. By comparing your test results with reference values, you and your healthcare provider can see if any of your test results fall outside the range of expected values. Values that are outside expected ranges can provide clues to help identify possible conditions or diseases.
While accuracy of laboratory testing has significantly evolved over the past few decades, some lab-to-lab variability can occur due to differences in testing equipment, chemical reagents, and techniques. This is a reason why so few reference ranges are provided on this site. It is important to know that you must use the range supplied by the laboratory that performed your test to evaluate whether your results are “within normal limits.”
For more information, please read the article Reference Ranges and What They Mean.
What is being tested?
Lactoferrin is protein released by a type of white blood cell called a neutrophil. When there is inflammation in the digestive tract, neutrophils are attracted to the area and release lactoferrin, increasing the level of the protein in the stool. This test measures the level of lactoferrin in stool as a way to detect inflammation in the intestines.
Intestinal inflammation is associated with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and with some bacterial infections of the digestive tract, but it is not associated with many other disorders that affect bowel function and cause similar symptoms. Lactoferrin can be used to help distinguish between inflammatory and non-inflammatory conditions.
IBD is a group of chronic disorders characterized by swollen and damaged tissues in the lining of the intestinal tract. The cause of IBD is not known, but these diseases are thought to be due to an autoimmune process that has been triggered by a genetic predisposition, a viral illness, and/or an environmental factor. The most common inflammatory bowel diseases are Crohn disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC).
People affected by IBD typically have flare-ups of active disease that alternate with periods of remission. During a flare-up, a person may experience frequent bouts of watery and/or bloody diarrhea, abdominal pain, weight loss, and fever. Between these flare-ups, symptoms frequently subside. Many people may go through extended periods of remission between flare-ups. Lactoferrin testing can be useful in monitoring disease activity.
How is the sample collected for testing?
A stool sample is collected in a clean container provided by the laboratory. This sample should be uncontaminated by urine or water.
Common Questions
View Sources
Sources Used in Current Review
(2016 November Updated). Inflammatory Bowel Disease – IBD. ARUP Consult. Available online at https://arupconsult.com/content/inflammatory-bowel-disease/?tab=tab_item-2. Accessed on 1/22/17.
Wang, Y. (2015 October 15). Diagnostic accuracy of fecal lactoferrin for inflammatory bowel disease: a meta-analysis. Int J Clin Exp Pathol 2015;8(10):12319-12332. Available online at http://ijcep.com/files/ijcep0013661.pdf. Accessed on 1/22/17.
Archbald-Pannone, L. (2014 March 17). Quantitative Fecal Lactoferrin as a Biomarker for Severe Clostridium difficile Infection in Hospitalized Patients. J Geriatr Palliat Care. 2014; 2(1): 3. Available online at http://pubmedcentralcanada.ca/pmcc/articles/PMC4230709/. Accessed on 1/22/17.
Zhou, X. et. al. (2014 July 7). Fecal lactoferrin in discriminating inflammatory bowel disease from Irritable bowel syndrome: a diagnostic meta-analysis. BMC Gastroenterology 201414:121. Available online at http://bmcgastroenterol.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1471-230X-14-121. Accessed on 1/22/17.
Reuters Staff (2015 June 04). Diagnostic Accuracy of Noninvasive IBD Biomarkers Unclear. Reuters Health Information. Available online at http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/845852. Accessed on 1/22/17.
Sources Used in Previous Reviews
Caccaro, R. et. al. (2012). Clinical Utility of Calprotectin and Lactoferrin in Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease. Medscape Today News from Expert Rev Clin Immunol v8 (6):579-585 [On-line information]. Available online at http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/771596. Accessed February 2013.
Sherwood, R. (2012). Faecal Markers of Gastrointestinal Inflammation. Medscape Today News from J Clin Pathol. v65 (11):981-985 [On-line information]. Available online at http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/773411. Accessed February 2013.
Tebo, A. (2013 January). Inflammatory Bowel Disease – IBD. ARUP Consult [On-line information]. Available online at http://www.arupconsult.com/Topics/IBD.html?client_ID=LTD. Accessed February 2013.
(© 1995–2013). Lactoferrin Detection. Mayo Clinic Mayo Medical Laboratories [On-line information]. Available online at http://www.mayomedicallaboratories.com/test-catalog/Overview/91560. Accessed February 2013.
Wilkins, T. et. al. (2011 December 15). Diagnosis and Management of Crohn’s Disease. Am Fam Physician. v84 (12):1365-1375. [On-line information]. Available online at http://www.aafp.org/afp/2011/1215/p1365.html. Accessed February 2013.
Manohara, J. et. al. (2009 January). Fecal Calprotectin and Lactoferrin as Noninvasive Markers of Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease. Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology & Nutrition v48 (1): 48-54. [On-line information]. Available online at http://journals.lww.com/jpgn/Fulltext/2009/01000/Fecal_Calprotectin_and_Lactoferrin_as_Noninvasive.8.aspx. Accessed February 2013.
Pfefferkorn, M. et. al. (2010 October). Utility of Fecal Lactoferrin in Identifying Crohn Disease Activity in Children. Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology & Nutrition v51 (4): 425-428 [On-line information]. Available online at http://journals.lww.com/jpgn/Fulltext/2010/10000/Utility_of_Fecal_Lactoferrin_in_Identifying_Crohn.7.aspx. Accessed February 2013.
Delgado, J. and Grenache, D. (Updated 2012 October). Malabsorption. ARUP Consult [On-line information]. Available online at http://www.arupconsult.com/Topics/Malabsorption.html#tabs=0. Accessed February 2013.
Lewis, J. (2011). The Utility of Biomarkers in the Diagnosis and Therapy of Inflammatory Bowel Disease. Gastroenterology v140:1817–1826. [On-line information]. PDF available for download at http://ibdsupplements.org/IBD/pdf/special/4.pdf. Accessed February 2013.
Pagana, K. D. & Pagana, T. J. (© 2011). Mosby’s Diagnostic and Laboratory Test Reference 10th Edition: Mosby, Inc., Saint Louis, MO. Pp 606-607.
Dai, J., W-Z Liu, and Y-P Zhao, et al. 2007. Relationship between fecal lactoferrin and inflammatory bowel disease. Scan J GastroEnt. 42:1440-1444. Available online at http://informahealthcare.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00365520701427094. Accessed March 2013.
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