title: Commercial latex test for Clostridium difficile toxin A does not detect toxin A.
abstract: The rapid latex test recently marketed by Marion Scientific (Div. Marion Laboratories, Inc., Kansas City, Mo.) for the detection of Clostridium difficile toxin A does not react with the toxin, based on the following findings: culture filtrates from nontoxigenic strains of C. difficile gave positive reactions in the test, culture filtrate in which toxin A had been removed gave positive reactions, purified toxin A did not react in the test, and the latex reagent bound an antigen which is distinct from toxin A and which is produced in various amounts by both toxigenic and nontoxigenic strains of C. difficile.
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Lyerly
authors.forename: T D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Wilkins
mesh_terms: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D001681:Biological Assay; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003013:Clostridium / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology; D004768:Enterotoxins; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005188:False Negative Reactions; D007841:Latex Fixation Tests
chemical_list: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D004768:Enterotoxins; C041348:tcdA protein, Clostridium difficile; C031815:toxB protein, Clostridium difficile