Elevated fecal and serum calprotectin in COVID-19 are not consistent with gastrointestinal symptoms
Abstract Intestinal epithelial cell damage caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection was thought to be associated with gastrointestinal symptoms and decreased fecal consistency. The association of the gastrointestinal symptoms with the COVID-19-mediated inflammatory response triggered by the gastrointestinal i...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2021-11-01
|
| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-01231-4 |
| _version_ | 1818837774683340800 |
|---|---|
| author | Hajar Shokri-Afra Ahmad Alikhani Bahman Moradipoodeh Farshid Noorbakhsh Hafez Fakheri Hemen Moradi-Sardareh |
| author_facet | Hajar Shokri-Afra Ahmad Alikhani Bahman Moradipoodeh Farshid Noorbakhsh Hafez Fakheri Hemen Moradi-Sardareh |
| author_sort | Hajar Shokri-Afra |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Intestinal epithelial cell damage caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection was thought to be associated with gastrointestinal symptoms and decreased fecal consistency. The association of the gastrointestinal symptoms with the COVID-19-mediated inflammatory response triggered by the gastrointestinal immune system was investigated in this paper. Intestinal inflammation marker fecal calprotectin along with serum calprotectin and other inflammatory markers were measured in COVID-19 cases with and without GI manifestations as well as healthy individuals. Analyses were performed to compare COVID-19 patient subgroups and healthy controls and examine the relationship between fecal and serum calprotectin levels with gastrointestinal symptoms and disease severity. COVID-19 patients (n = 70) were found to have markedly elevated median levels of fecal (124.3 vs. 25.0 µg/g; P < 0/0001) and serum calprotectin (3500 vs. 1060 ng/mL; P < 0/0001) compared with uninfected controls. Fecal and serum calprotectin levels were not significantly different between COVID-19 patients who displayed GI symptoms and those who did not. Compared with other acute phase markers, both fecal and serum calprotectin were superior in identifying COVID-19 patients who progressed to severe illness. Although the progression of COVID-19 disease is marked by an elevation of fecal and serum calprotectin, gastrointestinal symptoms or diarrhea were not correlated with calprotectin increase level. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-19T03:27:51Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e3830e34d4924d4a8b30f4751c3ab77d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-19T03:27:51Z |
| publishDate | 2021-11-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-e3830e34d4924d4a8b30f4751c3ab77d2022-12-21T20:37:33ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222021-11-0111111010.1038/s41598-021-01231-4Elevated fecal and serum calprotectin in COVID-19 are not consistent with gastrointestinal symptomsHajar Shokri-Afra0Ahmad Alikhani1Bahman Moradipoodeh2Farshid Noorbakhsh3Hafez Fakheri4Hemen Moradi-Sardareh5Gut and Liver Research Center, Non-Communicable Diseases Institute, Mazandaran University of Medical SciencesDepartment of Infectious Diseases, Antimicrobial Resistance Research Center and Communicable Diseases Institute, Mazandaran University of Medical SciencesDepartment of Laboratory, Islamic Azad UniversityDepartment of Immunology, Tehran University of Medical SciencesGut and Liver Research Center, Non-Communicable Diseases Institute, Mazandaran University of Medical SciencesAsadabad School of Medical ScienceAbstract Intestinal epithelial cell damage caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection was thought to be associated with gastrointestinal symptoms and decreased fecal consistency. The association of the gastrointestinal symptoms with the COVID-19-mediated inflammatory response triggered by the gastrointestinal immune system was investigated in this paper. Intestinal inflammation marker fecal calprotectin along with serum calprotectin and other inflammatory markers were measured in COVID-19 cases with and without GI manifestations as well as healthy individuals. Analyses were performed to compare COVID-19 patient subgroups and healthy controls and examine the relationship between fecal and serum calprotectin levels with gastrointestinal symptoms and disease severity. COVID-19 patients (n = 70) were found to have markedly elevated median levels of fecal (124.3 vs. 25.0 µg/g; P < 0/0001) and serum calprotectin (3500 vs. 1060 ng/mL; P < 0/0001) compared with uninfected controls. Fecal and serum calprotectin levels were not significantly different between COVID-19 patients who displayed GI symptoms and those who did not. Compared with other acute phase markers, both fecal and serum calprotectin were superior in identifying COVID-19 patients who progressed to severe illness. Although the progression of COVID-19 disease is marked by an elevation of fecal and serum calprotectin, gastrointestinal symptoms or diarrhea were not correlated with calprotectin increase level.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-01231-4 |
| spellingShingle | Hajar Shokri-Afra Ahmad Alikhani Bahman Moradipoodeh Farshid Noorbakhsh Hafez Fakheri Hemen Moradi-Sardareh Elevated fecal and serum calprotectin in COVID-19 are not consistent with gastrointestinal symptoms Scientific Reports |
| title | Elevated fecal and serum calprotectin in COVID-19 are not consistent with gastrointestinal symptoms |
| title_full | Elevated fecal and serum calprotectin in COVID-19 are not consistent with gastrointestinal symptoms |
| title_fullStr | Elevated fecal and serum calprotectin in COVID-19 are not consistent with gastrointestinal symptoms |
| title_full_unstemmed | Elevated fecal and serum calprotectin in COVID-19 are not consistent with gastrointestinal symptoms |
| title_short | Elevated fecal and serum calprotectin in COVID-19 are not consistent with gastrointestinal symptoms |
| title_sort | elevated fecal and serum calprotectin in covid 19 are not consistent with gastrointestinal symptoms |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-01231-4 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT hajarshokriafra elevatedfecalandserumcalprotectinincovid19arenotconsistentwithgastrointestinalsymptoms AT ahmadalikhani elevatedfecalandserumcalprotectinincovid19arenotconsistentwithgastrointestinalsymptoms AT bahmanmoradipoodeh elevatedfecalandserumcalprotectinincovid19arenotconsistentwithgastrointestinalsymptoms AT farshidnoorbakhsh elevatedfecalandserumcalprotectinincovid19arenotconsistentwithgastrointestinalsymptoms AT hafezfakheri elevatedfecalandserumcalprotectinincovid19arenotconsistentwithgastrointestinalsymptoms AT hemenmoradisardareh elevatedfecalandserumcalprotectinincovid19arenotconsistentwithgastrointestinalsymptoms |