In a previous project, following GWAS analysis of the DNA and measurement of serum biomarkers coming from 134 patients a prediction score named SPECIFY was developed. The SPECIFY score comprises four elements: low hemoglobin, increased urea, increased IL-8 and carriage of G alleles of rs2091172. The score has 80% positive predictive value and 95.8% specificity for the early detection of unfavorable outcome but the sensitivity is low. Unfavorable outcome is defined as any of: presentation or progression into severe CDI, relapse; and death. Stool samples of day 1 before start of therapy of the patients are stored refrigerated. Microbiome analysis will be done aiming to the integration of the Shannon diversity index to the already developed score in order to improve sensitivity.
BEYOND is aiming to demonstrate how by enrichment of the available SPECIFY score, patients at great likelihood for CDI with unfavorable outcome are early detected