title: An improved protocol for pulsed-field gel electrophoresis typing of Clostridium difficile.
abstract: Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) is the 'gold standard' technique for bacterial typing and has proved to be discriminatory and reproducible for typing Clostridium difficile. Nevertheless, a high proportion of strains are non-typable by this technique due to the degradation of the DNA during the process. The introduction of several modifications in the PFGE standard procedure increased typability from 40% (90 isolates) to 100% (220 isolates) while maintaining the high degree of discrimination and reproducibility of the technique.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Hospital General Universitario ''Gregorio Marañón'', C/Doctor Esquerdo, 46, 28007 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Alonso
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Hospital General Universitario ''Gregorio Marañón'', C/Doctor Esquerdo, 46, 28007 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Martín
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Hospital General Universitario ''Gregorio Marañón'', C/Doctor Esquerdo, 46, 28007 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Peláez
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Hospital General Universitario ''Gregorio Marañón'', C/Doctor Esquerdo, 46, 28007 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marín
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Hospital General Universitario ''Gregorio Marañón'', C/Doctor Esquerdo, 46, 28007 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rodríguez-Creixéms
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Hospital General Universitario ''Gregorio Marañón'', C/Doctor Esquerdo, 46, 28007 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bouza
mesh_terms: D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D016360:Clostridioides difficile / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D016521:Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field / Q000379:methods*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial