The Journal of Medical Microbiology, Vol 47, Issue 2 117-121, Copyright © 1998 by Society for General Microbiology

JOURNAL ARTICLE

PCR-ribotyping and pyrolysis mass spectrometry fingerprinting of environmental and hospital isolates of Clostridium difficile

N. M. Al-Saif, G. L. O'Neill, J. T. Magee, J. S. Brazier and B. I. Duerden
Department of Medical Microbiology and Public Health Laboratory, University of Wales College of Medicine, University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff.

The relationships between environmental isolates of Clostridium difficile were examined by two typing methods, PCR ribotyping and pyrolysis mass spectrometry (PyMS). The 184 isolates were divided into 23 different PCR ribotypes, 13 of which were producers of toxins A and B; the remaining 10 types did not produce either toxin A or B. PyMS analysis resolved 31 groups with 60 (32.5%) isolates in one group (group 9). In both methods most of the isolates showed similar clustering. PCR ribotypes of the environmental isolates were compared with those of clinical isolates that had been typed previously. Seventeen PCR types (13 toxigenic PCR types and four non-toxigenic types) were found in both sets of isolates.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				G. Northey, M. Gal, A. Rahmati, and J. S Brazier Subtyping of Clostridium difficile PCR ribotype 001 by REP-PCR and PFGE J. Med. Microbiol., June 1, 2005; 54(6): 543 - 547. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				H.-C. Wong and C.-H. Lin Evaluation of Typing of Vibrioparahaemolyticus by Three PCR Methods Using Specific Primers J. Clin. Microbiol., December 1, 2001; 39(12): 4233 - 4240. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]