title: Detection of Clostridium difficile toxin by enzyme immunoassay, tissue culture test and culture.
abstract: Clostridium difficile toxin is frequently encountered in patients with antibiotic-associated diarrhea. A commercially available enzyme immunoassay (EIA) detecting toxins A and B was evaluated, screening 148 stool specimens specifically submitted for the detection of C. difficile. A sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 97.5% were found compared to a tissue culture assay. The overall prevalence of C. difficile toxin was 22.1%. Cephalosporins had been administered significantly more often to toxin-positive patients. The EIA proved to be a suitable test for the detection of C. difficile toxin, revealing high prevalences in specifically submitted clinical specimens.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Medizinische Mikrobiologie und Infektionsimmunologie, Freien Universität Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Liesenfeld
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Saeger
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hahn
mesh_terms: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000032:analysis*; D016360:Clostridioides difficile / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D046508:Culture Techniques; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000209:etiology; D004768:Enterotoxins / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D004768:Enterotoxins; C041348:tcdA protein, Clostridium difficile; C031815:toxB protein, Clostridium difficile