DIAGNOSIS OF INFLAMMATORY DIARRHEA

DIARRHEAS ARE EITHER INFLAMMATORY OF NONINFLAMMATORY. INFLAMMATORY DIARRHEAS ARE CHARACTERIZEDBY THE PRESENCE OF FECAL LEUKOCYTES THAT DO NOT OCCUR IN NONINFLAMMATORY DIARRHEAS. NONINFLAMMATORY DIARRHEAS ARE CAUSED BY AGENTS SUCH AS VIRUSES, PARASITES AND CERTAIN BACTERIA AND ARE, FOR THE MOST PART, SELF-LIMITING. INFLAMMATORY DIARRHEAS, ON THE OTHER HAND, ARE CAUSED BY ENTERIC PATHOGENS SUCH AS SHIGELLA, SALMONELLA, CAMPYLOBACTER, AND CLOSTRIDIUM DIFFICILE. THESE INFECTIONS TEND TO BE MORE SERIOUS AND REQUIRE ADDITIONAL CLINICAL ASSESSMENT. WE HAVE DEVELOPED AND ARE EVALUATING A LATEX AGGLUTINATION ASSAY FOR THE DETECTIONOF ELEVATED LEVELS OF LACTOFERRIN, A MARKER FOR FECAL LEUKOCYTES. THE ASSAY IS INTENDED AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO THE METHYLENE BLUE METHOD FOR THE IDENTIFICATION OF INFLAMMATORY DIARRHEA.