title: Clostridium difficile and the aetiology of pseudomembranous colitis.
abstract: Bacterial isolates from 5 patients with pseudomembranous colitis (P.M.C.) were screened for toxin production. Strains of Clostridium from 4 patients produced in vitro a toxin similar to that found in P.M.C. faecal suspension. These were identified as C. difficile. Use of the strains from 2 patients induced a fatal enterocolitis when inoculated orally into hamsters pretreated with vancomycin. The C. difficile that produced the toxin in vitro was then re-isolated from hamster caecal contents. These findings suggest that P.M.C. results from infection with C. difficile and that previous antibiotic therapy produces susceptibility to infection.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D003013:Clostridium / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism; D003015:Clostridium Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000382:microbiology; D006224:Cricetinae; D004761:Enterocolitis, Pseudomembranous / Q000209:etiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D004768:Enterotoxins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008647:Mesocricetus
chemical_list: D004768:Enterotoxins