title: Comparison of three commercial methods for rapid detection of Clostridium difficile toxins A and B from fecal specimens.
abstract: Three rapid enzyme immunoassays (X/pect Clostridium difficile Toxin A/B test, Wampole Tox A/B Quik Chek, and ImmunoCard Toxins A&B) were compared for the diagnosis of Clostridium difficile infection. Of the 367 stool specimens tested, 102 (27.8%) were positive for toxigenic C. difficile when a combination of direct cytotoxicity assay and cytotoxic culture was used as the gold standard. Sensitivity/specificity values were 49.0%/95.8%, 54.9%/95.5%, and 66.7%/95.1%, respectively. The median times to test five stool specimens were 28, 30, and 24 min, respectively. The ImmunoCard test was the quickest and most sensitive test of the three enzyme immunoassays evaluated.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Microbiología, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Avda. Dr. Esquerdo, 46, 28007 Madrid, Spain. luisalcala@efd.net
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Alcalá
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sánchez-Cambronero
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Catalán
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sánchez-Somolinos
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Peláez
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marín
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bouza
mesh_terms: D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000032:analysis*; D016360:Clostridioides difficile / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004761:Enterocolitis, Pseudomembranous / Q000175:diagnosis*; D004768:Enterotoxins / Q000032:analysis*; D005243:Feces / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D001427:Bacterial Toxins; C488583:Clostridium difficile lethal toxin B; D004768:Enterotoxins; C041348:tcdA protein, Clostridium difficile
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