ArticleClinical gastroenterology and hepatology : the official clinical practice journal of the American Gastroenterological Association2011
The appendix may protect against Clostridium difficile recurrence.
Article in Clinical gastroenterology and hepatology : the official clinical practice journal of the American Gastroenterological Association, 2011. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 44 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
44 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis: A Prior Appendectomy Does Not Increase the Risk of Severe Clostridioides difficile Infection or Recurrence.Digestive diseases and sciences · 2023Pooled it
- Appendectomy as a Risk Factor for Bacteremic Biliary Tract Infection Caused by Antibiotic-Resistant Pathogens.BioMed research international · 2017Trial
- Causality between appendiceal disease and cancers of the digestive system: A Mendelian randomization study.Medicine · 2026Article
- Childhood appendectomy is linked with higher digestive, respiratory, and genitourinary disease risk but lower inflammatory bowel disease risk.Evolution, medicine, and public health · 2026Article
- Appendicitis.Nature reviews. Disease primers · 2025Review
- Exploring the Immunological Role of the Microbial Composition of the Appendix and the Associated Risks of Appendectomies.Journal of personalized medicine · 2025Review
- Prior Appendicectomy and Gut Microbiota Re-Establishment in Adults after Bowel Preparation and Colonoscopy.Biomedicines · 2024Article
- Is there a link between appendicitis and the risk of diverticular disease?: a large German cohort study.International journal of colorectal disease · 2024Article
- Endoscopic retrograde appendicitis therapy in adults with uncomplicated acute appendicitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.iGIE : innovation, investigation and insights · 2023Article
- Correlation between the presence of a cecal appendix and reduced diarrhea severity in primates: new insights into the presumed function of the appendix.Scientific reports · 2023Article
- Removing the Appendix: Prologue to Severe Clostridioides difficile Infection and Recurrence?Digestive diseases and sciences · 2023Article
- Appendicitis is associated with an increased risk of systemic lupus erythematosus: a nationwide, population-based, case-control study.Clinical rheumatology · 2023Article
- Appendix and Ulcerative Colitis: a Key to Explaining the Pathogenesis and Directing Novel Therapies?Inflammatory bowel diseases · 2023Review
- Mucosal Immunity and the Gut-Microbiota-Brain-Axis in Neuroimmune Disease.International journal of molecular sciences · 2022Review
- Article
- Mechanistic Insights Into Gut Microbiome Dysbiosis-Mediated Neuroimmune Dysregulation and Protein Misfolding and Clearance in the Pathogenesis of Chronic Neurodegenerative Disorders.Frontiers in neuroscience · 2022Review
- Patients withWorld journal of gastrointestinal surgery · 2021Article
- The cecal appendix is correlated with greater maximal longevity in mammals.Journal of anatomy · 2021Article
- Long-term impacts of appendectomy associated with increased incidence of inflammatory bowel disease, infection, and colorectal cancer.International journal of colorectal disease · 2021Article
- Appendectomy and Non-TyphoidalJournal of clinical medicine · 2021Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
BACKGROUND &
aimsSeveral risk factors have been identified for the development of recurrent Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) that alter host immunity and disrupt colonic flora. Although the function of the appendix has been debated, its active, gut-associated lymphoid tissue and biofilm production indicate potential roles in recovery from initial CDI and protection against recurrent CDI. We investigated whether the presence or absence of an appendix is associated with CDI recurrence.
methodsWe reviewed the medical records of adult inpatients with CDI who were admitted to a tertiary-care teaching hospital from 2005 to 2007 to identify those with and without an appendix. The primary dependent variable for statistical analysis was CDI recurrence.
resultsIn a multivariate analysis of 11 clinical variables, the presence of an appendix was associated inversely with CDI recurrence (P < .0001; adjusted relative risk, .398). Age older than 60 years also was associated with CDI recurrence (P = .0280; adjusted relative risk, 2.44).
conclusionsThe presence of an appendix has a significant and independent, inverse association with CDI recurrence, but this finding requires validation in a prospective study. Assessing the presence or absence of an appendix might be useful in predicting CDI recurrence.
Indexed as
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.