Efficacy of stool multiplex polymerase chain reaction assay in adult patients with acute infectious diarrhea

Table 1 Clinical characteristics of patients

Characteristics	Value
Age, yr	50.4 ± 20.4
Male, n (%)	168 (42)
DM/HTN/CKD/CVD [n (%)]	57 (14.3)/99 (24.8)/8 (2)/18 (4.5)
WBC count (× 103/μL)	9526.9 ± 4803
CRP (mg/L)	78.3 ± 82.5
Fecal calprotectin (mg/kg)	902.9 ± 812
Initial body temperature (°C)	37.3 ± 0.9
Duration of fever (> 38°C), d	0.58 ± 0.9
Duration of hospitalization, d	6.1 ± 4.7
Duration of diarrhea, d	4 ± 4.6

Data are presented as mean ± SD. DM: Diabetes mellitus; HTN: Hypertension; CKD: Chronic kidney disease; CVD: Cerebrovascular disease; WBC: White blood cell; CRP: C-reactive protein.

Table 2 Comparison of patient characteristics according to stool polymerase chain reaction positivity

	Positive stool PCR	Negative stool PCR	P value
Age (yr)	50.4 ± 20.5	50.5 ± 20.3	0.97
Male [n (%)]	76 (38.6)	92 (45.3)	0.145
WBC count (103/μL)	9968.8 ± 5165.1	9098.1 ± 4394	0.145
CRP (mg/L)	109.8 ± 83.5	47.7 ± 68.9	0.0001
Fever > 38°C [n (%)]	101 (51.3)	47 (23.2)	0.0001
Hospital days	5.9 ± 4.1	6.2 ± 5.1	0.733
Fever duration (d)	0.7 ± 0.9	0.4 ± 0.9	0.0001
Diarrhea duration (d)	3.8 ± 4.3	4.3 ± 4.8	0.772
Calprotectin (mg/kg)	1124.5 ± 816.9	609 ± 713.2	0.001
Colitis on sigmoidoscopy [n (%)]	49/65 (75.4)	29/72 (39.7)	0.0001

Data are presented as mean ± SD. PCR: Polymerase chain reaction; WBC: White blood cell; CRP: C-reactive protein.

Table 3 Multivariate analysis on independent factors detecting bacterial pathogens by stool polymerase chain reaction

	P value	OR	95%CI
CRP	0.03	1.01	1.001-1.027
Calprotectin	0.68	1	0.999-1.001
Colitis on sigmoidoscopy	0.03	4.75	1.101-20.551
Initial body temperature	0.81	1.1	0.484-2.498

CRP: C-reactive protein.