Enzyme immunoassay for detection of Clostridium difficile toxins A and B in patients with antibiotic-associated diarrhoea and colitis.
A sandwich enzyme immunoassay (ELISA) was developed to detect Clostridium difficile toxins A and B in stools from patients with antibiotic associated diarrhoea and colitis. Immune serum to crude Clostridium difficile toxin and non-immune serum were coated onto polystyrene microtiter plates to act as capture antibodies; toxins A and B in human stools were detected by antibodies from rabbits immunized with purified toxins A and B. The ELISA for toxin B showed cross-reactions with Clostridium bifermentans and Clostridium sordellii and lacked diagnostic sensitivity in clinical samples. The ELISA for toxin A showed no cross-reactions with other clostridiae investigated and was positive in 33% (62/189) of patients with antibiotic associated diarrhoea. This compared with 38% (71/189) positive in the tissue culture assay for Clostridium difficile cytotoxin. With a predictive value of 96% in clinical specimens, the ELISA for toxin A constitutes a sensitive and specific tool for diagnosis of Clostridium difficile associated diarrhoea and colitis.
D000918:Antibody Specificity; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology; D003013:Clostridium / Q000276:immunology*; D003015:Clostridium Infections / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003092:Colitis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans
D001427:Bacterial Toxins