LAUSR

Data regarding the long-term effects of COVID-19 on patients with Inflammatory bowel disease is scarce. Fecal calprotectin (FC) correlates with IBD clinical and endoscopic activity. We compared fecal calprotectin levels between patients with COVID-19 to a control group tested negative to SARS-CoV-2. We gathered data from a large health medical organization in Israel of insured individuals who underwent a SARS-COV-2 PCR test from March 1, 2020, to December 31, 2020. Among patients with IBD, data regarding fecal calprotectin taken 30–365 days before SARS-CoV-2 testing was gathered. We compared fecal calprotectin levels taken at least 30 days following COVID-19 infection to those who tested negative. 1924 Crohn’s disease (CD) patients and 949 Ulcerative Colitis (UC) patients were tested for SARS-CoV-2. 322 (16.7%) were tested positive in the CD group and 114 (13.7%) in the UC group. Pre-COVID-19 calprotectin levels did not show statistically significant differences between patients who ended up testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 and those who tested negative in CD (377 ±759.08 vs. 451.84±869, p-value = 0.4) and in UC (466.93±766.69 vs. 617.91 ±1243.99 p-value=0.37). Post-COVID-19 fecal calprotectin was higher among patients with CD who were tested positive than those who tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 (617.42±832.68 vs. 355.94±1207.46, p value=0.04). In a multivariate linear regression controlling for age, gender, BMI, smoking status, and pre-COVID-19 fecal calprotectin, SARS-CoV-2 positivity was associated with higher fecal calprotectin levels (p value=0.03). In contrast, there was no statistically significant change in fecal calprotectin levels among patients with UC and SARS-CoV-2 positivity (547.2±1089 vs.458.32± 689 p value=0.9). In a 2:1 propensity score-matched cohort (n=264), calprotectin levels were higher among patients with CD who suffered from COVID-19 compared to controls (657.64 vs. 384.94 p-value = 0.03) Patients with CD who had COVID-19 have higher FC levels compared to similar CD patients who did not have COVID-19. This finding was not found in patients with UC.