Evidence map›Paper›PMID 29032373›Full record

Trial reportDigestion2017

Differentiating Clostridium difficile Colitis from Clostridium difficile Colonization in Ulcerative Colitis: A Role for Procalcitonin.

Andrew R Reinink, Julajak Limsrivilai, Bethany A Reutemann, Tristan Feierabend, Emily Briggs, Krishna Rao, Peter D R Higgins

Abstract readClinical Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in Digestion, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed
0.6field-weighted citation impact, top 32% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

7 citing papers in PubMed, 10 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Global Patterns ofCrohn's & colitis 360 · 2025
    Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Article
  7. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Andrew R ReininkMinneapolis Veterans Affairs Medical Center and University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
Julajak Limsrivilai
Bethany A Reutemann
Tristan Feierabend
Emily Briggs
Krishna Rao
Peter D R Higgins
University of Michigan · USUniversity of Minnesota Medical Center · US

Funding

Michigan Institute for Clinical and Health Research (MICHR)UL1TR002240 · NCATS · UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR · PI LUMENG, JULIE C, MASHOUR, GEORGE ALEXANDER · 2017 to 2022
$54.9M
Michigan Institute for Clinical and Health Research (MCHR)UL1TR000433 · NCATS · UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR · PI MASHOUR, GEORGE ALEXANDER · 2012 to 2016
$49.9M
Research Education CoreP30AG024824 · NIA · UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR · PI Neil Alexander · 2004 to 2026
$29.2M
Application of Machine Learning Algorithms to Thiopurine Monitoring in IBDR01GM097117 · NIGMS · UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR · PI HIGGINS, PETER D.R. · 2012 to 2016
$1.9M
NCATS NIH HHS UL1 TR000433NCATS NIH HHS UL1 TR002240NIA NIH HHS P30 AG024824NIGMS NIH HHS R01 GM097117
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

BACKGROUND/

aimsClostridium difficile infection (CDI) frequently complicates ulcerative colitis (UC) and can mimic disease flare. Differentiating UC flare from CDI remains a clinical challenge, particularly due to C. difficile colonization. Procalcitonin (PCT) is a serum biomarker for bacterial infections. We hypothesized that PCT would differentiate acute CDI from UC flare and C. difficile colonization.

methodsA single-center prospective cohort study was conducted from 2013 to 2016. All UC patients with a stool sample for C. difficile testing were eligible. A total of 117 patients were enrolled, while 20 were excluded. Chart review was performed.

resultsAmong 27 patients with CDI, median PCT was 60.7 (range 26-560.6) pg/mL, while among 90 patients without CDI, median PCT was 56.7 (range 25.1-2,252) pg/mL (p = 0.9). It was found that 14 patients with CDI responded completely to C. difficile treatment (CDI-R), while 8 patients did not and were diagnosed with UC flare (CDI-NR). For CDI-R, median PCT was 104.5 (range 26.3-560.6), compared to 40.3 (range 26.0-116.3) for CDI-NR (p = 0.036).

conclusionsIn UC patients presenting with diarrhea, serum PCT was not significantly higher in UC patients with positive C. difficile testing. However, PCT was significantly elevated in CDI-R versus CDI-NR, suggesting that PCT may have utility in making this discrimination.

Indexed as

Clostridioides difficileAdultAntibodiesBiomarkersColitis, UlcerativeDiagnosis, DifferentialDiarrheaEnterocolitis, PseudomembranousFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedProcalcitoninProspective StudiesSymptom Flare UpAntibodiesBiomarkersProcalcitoninDiagnosis<italic>Clostridium difficile</italic>ProcalcitoninUlcerative colitis

Identifiers

PMID29032373
PMCPMC5899687
OpenAlexW2762924500

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceTDM
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.