Usefulness of Adjunctive Fecal Calprotectin and Serum Procalcitonin in Individuals Positive for Clostridium difficile Toxin Gene by PCR Assay

J Clin Microbiol. 2015 Nov;53(11):3667-9. doi: 10.1128/JCM.02230-15. Epub 2015 Sep 9.

Abstract

In 54/64 subjects with nosocomial diarrhea, fecal calprotectin levels correlated with the results of stool samples tested for Clostridium difficile toxin gene by PCR. Fecal calprotectin levels can be used as an adjunctive measure to PCR to support the diagnosis of C. difficile infection.

Publication types

  • Observational Study

MeSH terms

  • Bacterial Toxins / genetics*
  • Biological Assay
  • Calcitonin / blood*
  • Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide
  • Clostridioides difficile / genetics*
  • Clostridioides difficile / pathogenicity
  • Creatinine / blood
  • Cross Infection
  • Enterocolitis, Pseudomembranous / diagnosis*
  • Enterocolitis, Pseudomembranous / microbiology
  • Enterotoxins / genetics*
  • Feces / chemistry
  • Feces / microbiology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Leukocyte L1 Antigen Complex / metabolism*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Prospective Studies
  • Protein Precursors / blood*
  • Sensitivity and Specificity
  • Serum Albumin / analysis

Substances

  • Bacterial Toxins
  • CALCA protein, human
  • Enterotoxins
  • Leukocyte L1 Antigen Complex
  • Protein Precursors
  • Serum Albumin
  • Calcitonin
  • Creatinine
  • Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide