title: Comparison of fecal lactoferrin latex agglutination assay and methylene blue microscopy for detection of fecal leukocytes in Clostridium difficile-associated disease.
abstract: The fecal lactoferrin assay was more sensitive (75%) than methylene blue microscopy (40%) for the detection of leukocytes in Clostridium difficile toxin-positive fecal samples. Although limited sensitivity and specificity precludes its use as a laboratory screening test, it may be a more useful initial test in an algorithm for clinically suspected C. difficile-associated disease.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Microbiology Laboratories, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston 02114.
authors.forename: W H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Yong
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Mattia
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Ferraro
mesh_terms: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000032:analysis; D001431:Bacteriological Techniques; D004761:Enterocolitis, Pseudomembranous / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D005243:Feces / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology* / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D007781:Lactoferrin; D007841:Latex Fixation Tests / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000473:pathology*; D008751:Methylene Blue; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D001427:Bacterial Toxins; C031815:toxB protein, Clostridium difficile; D007781:Lactoferrin; D008751:Methylene Blue