Rapid detection of Clostridium difficile toxins and laboratory diagnosis of Clostridium difficile infections.
BACKGROUND
Clostridium difficile is an anaerobic, spore-forming and Gram-positive bacillus. It is the major cause of antibiotic-associated diarrhea prevailing in hospital settings. The morbidity and mortality of C. difficile infection (CDI) has increased significantly due to the emergence of hypervirulent strains. Because of the poor clinical different between CDI and other causes of hospital-acquired diarrhea, laboratory test for C. difficile is an important intervention for diagnosis of CDI.


OBJECTIVE
Laboratory tests for CDI can broadly detect either the organisms or its toxins. Currently, several laboratory tests are used for diagnosis of CDI, including toxigenic culture, glutamate dehydrogenase detection, nucleic acid amplification testing, cell cytotoxicity assay, and enzyme immunoassay towards toxin A and/or B. This review focuses on the rapid testing of C. difficile toxins and currently available methods for diagnosis of CDI, giving an overview of the role that the toxins rapid detecting plays in clinical diagnosis of CDI.
School of Bioscience and Bioengineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China.
Shuyi
S
Chen
School of Bioscience and Bioengineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China.
Huawei
H
Gu
School of Bioscience and Bioengineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China.
Chunli
C
Sun
School of Bioscience and Bioengineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China.
Haiying
H
Wang
School of Bioscience and Bioengineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China. jufwang@scut.edu.cn.
Jufang
J
Wang
D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D019411:Clinical Laboratory Techniques / Q000592:standards*; D016360:Clostridioides difficile / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D003015:Clostridium Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology; D004761:Enterocolitis, Pseudomembranous / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans
D001427:Bacterial Toxins
Clostridium difficile infection (CDI); Rapid testing; TcdA; TcdB