Calprotectin levels may predict risk of recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection
Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) has long been a leading cause of nosocomial diarrhea, posing a significant challenge to healthcare systems. Recurrent CDI (R-CDI), affecting 20%-30% of patients, extends hospital stays and increases costs. A recent study published in Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology suggests that the abundance of specific bacterial genera and fecal calprotectin levels could serve as vital biomarkers in identifying patients at risk of developing R-CDI, ultimately leading to better-tailored treatments and improved patient outcomes
The study, aimed at exploring the role of the microbiome and calprotectin levels as predictive biomarkers for R-CDI, included 200 patients with a primary episode of CDI. Researchers collected clinical data and fecal samples and performed microbiome analysis through 16S rRNA gene sequencing.
Of the 200 patients, 54 went on to develop R-CDI, while 146 did not. The analysis of 200 primary samples revealed distinct microbial patterns. Fusobacterium was found to increase in abundance in patients with recurrent disease, while Collinsella, Senegalimassilia, Prevotella, and Ruminococcus decreased. Additionally, elevated calprotectin levels were significantly correlated with R-CDI.
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