Open AccessRole of Cycle Threshold in Clostridioides difficile Polymerase Chain Reaction Testing as a Predictor of Clinical Outcomes in Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Author(s) -
Emily R. Jonica,
Carol Sulis,
Kanupriya Soni,
Michelle L. Hughes,
Eric A. Jones,
Janice Weinberg,
Nancy S. Miller,
Francis A. Farraye
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
crohn's and colitis 360
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2631-827X
DOI - 10.1093/crocol/otz036
Subject(s) - clostridioides , medicine , inflammatory bowel disease , gastroenterology , disease , diarrheal disease , diarrhea , polymerase chain reaction , gene , biochemistry , chemistry
Background Distinguishing Clostridioides difficile infection from colonization is challenging in patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). Cycle threshold (Ct), the cutoff for PCR positivity, has been investigated in non-IBD patients. Methods Patients with positive C. difficile PCR (25 IBD, 51 non-IBD) were identified retrospectively. Fifteen-day outcomes were assessed. Results Ct correlated with diarrheal days in non-IBD (P = 0.048), but not IBD patients (P = 0.769). IBD patients had shorter LOS and less severe infection, but more diarrheal days (P < 0.05). Conclusions IBD patients had a milder course but Ct results were not significant. Larger studies are needed to clarify utility of Ct in IBD.