title: Development and evaluation of a novel, semiautomated Clostridium difficile typing platform.
abstract: We describe a novel, semiautomated Clostridium difficile typing platform that is based on PCR-ribotyping in conjunction with a semiautomated molecular typing system. The platform is reproducible with minimal intra- or interassay variability. This method exhibited a discriminatory index of 0.954 and is therefore comparable to more arduous typing systems, such as pulsed-field gel electrophoresis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis, St Louis, Missouri, USA.
authors.forename: Lars F
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Westblade
authors.forename: Robin R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Chamberland
authors.forename: Duncan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: MacCannell
authors.forename: Rachel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Collins
authors.forename: Erik R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Dubberke
authors.forename: W Michael
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Dunne
authors.forename: Carey-Ann D
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Burnham
mesh_terms: D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D016360:Clostridioides difficile / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D016521:Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D021521:Ribotyping; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity