Correlation between fecal calprotectin levels, disease severity and the hypervirulent ribotype 027 strain in patients with Clostridium difficile infection

Avi Peretz, Linda Tkhawkho, Nina Pastukh, Diana Brodsky, Chen Namimi Halevi, Orna Nitzan

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

30 Scopus citations

Abstract

Background: Clostridium difficile is the most common infectious etiology of nosocomial diarrhea. Fecal calprotectin (fc) is a sensitive marker of intestinal inflammation, found to be associated with enteric bacterial infections and inflammatory bowel disease. Methods: We evaluated fc levels using a Chemiluminescent immunoassay method, in hospitalized patients with C. difficile infection (CDI) diagnosed by molecular stool examination and assessed correlation with virulent ribotype 027 strain infection, antibiotic susceptibility by gradient Etest strip performed on C. difficile colonies and clinical and laboratory measures of disease severity. Statistical analysis was performed for correlation of fc levels with clinical and laboratory parameters, disease severity and patient outcomes. Results: Overall 29 patients with CDI were admitted at the Poria medical center in northern Israel, during June 2014-May 2015. Resistance to metronidazole was found in 3 (10.3 %) isolates and to vancomycin in 5 (17.2 %) isolates. Regarding patient outcomes, within 30 days of CDI diagnosis, recurrence of disease occurred in 10 (34.5 %) patients and 2 patients (6.9 %) died. Seven (24.1 %) isolates were C. difficile ribotype 027. Mean fc level was 331.4 μg/g (21-932). Higher fc levels were found in patients with C. difficile ribotype 027 (p < 0.0005). Fc levels were also correlated with elevated peripheral blood white cell count (p = 0.0007). A trend for higher fc levels was found in patients with a higher clostridium severity score index (p = 0.0633). No correlation was found between fecal calprotectin levels and age, sex, functional status, community versus hospital acquired CDI, antibiotic susceptibility, fever, and creatinine levels. Conclusions: Our study highlights the fact that fc has a potential role as a biomarker of disease severity and binary toxin producing ribotype associated disease.

Original languageEnglish
Article number309
JournalBMC Infectious Diseases
Volume16
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - 22 Jun 2016

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2016 The Author(s).

Keywords

  • Calprotectin
  • Clostridium difficile
  • Clostridium severity score index
  • Ribotype 027

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