Volume 16, Number 5—May 2010
CME ACTIVITY - Research
Tropheryma whipplei in Children with Gastroenteritis
Didier Raoult
, Florence Fenollar, Jean-Marc Rolain, Philippe Minodier, Emmanuelle Bosdure, Wenjun Li, Jean-Marc Garnier, and Hervé Richet
, Florence Fenollar, Jean-Marc Rolain, Philippe Minodier, Emmanuelle Bosdure, Wenjun Li, Jean-Marc Garnier, and Hervé Richet
Table 1
Clinical and biological characteristics and laboratory test results of children 2–4 years of age with gastroenteritis who tested positive by PCR for Tropheryma whipplei, compared with controls, Marseille, France*
| Characteristic | T. whipplei PCR positive, n = 36 | T. whipplei PCR negative, n = 67† | p value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Male sex | 19 (53) | 35 (52) | 0.9 |
| Median age, mo | 29 ± 6 | 29 ± 5 | 0.7 |
| Sand box contact | 4/4 (100) | 0/8 (0) | 0.002 |
| Anorexia | 14 (39) | 41 (62) | 0.03 |
| Weight loss, kg | 0.9 ± 0.6 | 0.55 ± 0.35 | 0.045 |
| Vomiting | 20 (55.5) | 45 (67) | 0.2 |
| Abdominal pain | 9 (25) | 14 (21) | 0.3 |
| Dehydration | 11 (30.5) | 25 (37) | 0.5 |
| Watery diarrhea | 25 (69) | 46 (69) | 0.9 |
| Bloody diarrhea | 3 (8) | 5 (7.5) | 0.9 |
| Duration of diarrhea, d | 4.5 ± 4 | 4.5 ± 4 | 0.9 |
| No. stools/d | 6 ± 3 | 5.5 ± 3 | 0.2 |
| Length of rehydration required, h | 19 ± 10 | 35 ± 23 | 0.003 |
| Fever, °C | 38 ± 0.9 | 38.3 ± 1 | 0.2 |
| Duration of fever, d | 1.4 ± 1 | 3.6 ± 3.7 | 0.003 |
| Duration of hospitalization, d | 1.6 ± 1.5 | 3.5 ± 3.8 | 0.01 |
| Peripheral leukocyte count, × 109/L | 10 ± 4 | 14 ± 7 | 0.2 |
| Neutrophil count, × 109/L | 6 ± 3 | 7.5 ± 6 | 0.7 |
| Hemoglobin, g/dL | 11.8 ± 1.5 | 11.9 ± 1.5 | 0.6 |
| Fibrin, g/L | 4 ± 0.8 | 4.2 ± 1.2 | 0.6 |
| C-reactive protein, mg/mL | 24 ± 23 | 64 ± 87 | 0.03 |
| Serum albumin, g/L | 37 ± 50.2 | 34 ± 3 | 0.2 |
| Serum creatinine, mmol/L | 37 ± 11 | 37 ± 12 | 0.99 |
| Uremia, mmol/L | 3.4 ± 2 | 3.4 ± 2 | 0.99 |
| Proteinemia, g/L | 69 ± 8 | 68.5 ± 7 | 0.7 |
| Serum potassium, mmol/L | 3.8 ± 0.5 | 3.9 ± 0.4 | 0.3 |
| Partial thromboplastin time, s | 31 ± 3 | 32 ± 5 | 0.6 |
| Prothrombin time, s | 83 ± 20 | 81 ± 17 | 0.7 |
*Values are no. (%), no. positive/no. tested (%), or mean ± SD.
†Among 205 case-patients with gastroenteritis who were negative for T. whipplei, data were available for 67 patients.
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