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Journal of Clinical Microbiology, May 2001, p. 1996-1998, Vol. 39, No. 5
Laboratoire de Bactériologie, Hôpital Central,
Centre Hospitalier et Universitaire, 54035 Nancy
Cedex,1 and Service de Maladies
Infectieuses et Tropicales, Hôpital de Brabois, Centre
Hospitalier et Universitaire, 54500 Vandoeuvre,2
France
Received 27 October 2000/Returned for modification 20 December
2000/Accepted 5 February 2001
Detection of Clostridium difficile toxins A and B in
stools by Premier Cytoclone A+B enzyme immunoassay (EIA) was compared with detection by stool culture for C. difficile followed
by detection of toxigenic isolates using the same EIA. Chart reviews
were performed to evaluate the likelihood of C. difficile-associated diarrhea and colitis (CADC) for all patients
with at least one positive toxin assay. While the toxins were detected
in 58 of 85 consecutive CADC patients by both assays, CADC in 5 patients was detected only by stool toxin assay, and in 22 patients
CADC was detected only by toxigenic culture. Our results suggest that
for laboratories using a rapid toxin A+B EIA, direct toxin detection in
stools should be combined with toxigenic culture in cases in which
there is a negative stool toxin assay.
0095-1137/01/$04.00+0 DOI: 10.1128/JCM.39.5.1996-1998.2001
Copyright © 2001, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.
Laboratory Diagnosis of Clostridium
difficile-Associated Diarrhea and Colitis: Usefulness of
Premier Cytoclone A+B Enzyme Immunoassay for Combined Detection of
Stool Toxins and Toxigenic C. difficile
Strains
*
Corresponding author. Mailing address: Laboratoire de
Bactériologie, Hôpital Central, 29, Avenue du
Maréchal de Lattre de Tassigny, 54035 Nancy Cedex, France. Phone:
(33) 3-83-85-14-34. Fax: (33) 3-83-85-26-73. E-mail:
f.mory{at}chu-nancy.fr.
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