title: Diagnosis of Clostridium difficile-associated intestinal disease.
abstract: Toxigenic Clostridium difficile is the major cause of antimicrobial agent-associated pseudomembranous colitis and is the etiological agent of approximately 30% of cases of nonspecific colitis and diarrhea (without colitis) induced by antimicrobial agents. In addition, C. difficile has been implicated in certain intestinal diseases not related to prior antimicrobial administration. C. difficile has been reported to be one of the most common enteropathogens isolated from stool specimens submitted to hospital laboratories. Thus, diagnosis of C. difficile-associated intestinal disease should now be routinely performed in diagnostic clinical laboratories. The diagnosis of C. difficile-associated intestinal disease relies on the demonstration of either the organism or the toxin(s) in stool specimens or antibody response in serum to the toxin(s). Several selective medium are available for the recovery of C. difficile from stool specimens. The toxin(s) of C. difficile can be demonstrated using a variety of techniques, including biological assays as well as immunological assays. This article will review the techniques currently available to aid in the diagnosis of C. difficile-associated intestinal disease.
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000009:adverse effects; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology; D003013:Clostridium / Q000145:classification / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity; D003015:Clostridium Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D004761:Enterocolitis, Pseudomembranous / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D004768:Enterotoxins / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D004768:Enterotoxins; C041348:tcdA protein, Clostridium difficile; C031815:toxB protein, Clostridium difficile