Combination of Culture, Antigen and Toxin Detection, and Cytotoxin Neutralization Assay for Optimal Clostridium difficile Diagnostic Testing

• Main Authors: Michelle J Alfa, Shadi Sepehri
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hindawi Limited 2013-01-01
• Series: Canadian Journal of Infectious Diseases and Medical Microbiology
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2013/934945

BACKGROUND: There has been a growing interest in developing an appropriate laboratory diagnostic algorithm for Clostridium difficile, mainly as a result of increases in both the number and severity of cases of C difficile infection in the past decade. A C difficile diagnostic algorithm is necessary because diagnostic kits, mostly for the detection of toxins A and B or glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) antigen, are not sufficient as stand-alone assays for optimal diagnosis of C difficile infection. In addition, conventional reference methods for C difficile detection (eg, toxigenic culture and cytotoxin neutralization [CTN] assays) are not routinely practiced in diagnostic laboratory settings.