The Gut Microbiome and Butyrate Differentiate Clostridioides difficile Colonization and Infection in Children

Symptomatic Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) can cause significant morbidity and mortality. Conversely, patients can be colonized with toxigenic C. difficile in the absence of symptoms, termed asymptomatic colonization. We previously demonstrated that the presence and function of C. difficile toxins do not differentiate between asymptomatic colonization and CDI in children, suggesting the influence of other factors. This study aimed to interrogate the intestinal microbiome and butyrate in stool samples from children with CDI and asymptomatic colonization.