HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via CrossRef Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by ASHA, N.J. Articles by WILCOX, M.H. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by ASHA, N.J. Articles by WILCOX, M.H. Agricola Articles by ASHA, N.J. Articles by WILCOX, M.H.

Laboratory diagnosis of Clostridium perfringens antibiotic-associated diarrhoea

Department of Microbiology, Leeds General Infirmary and University of Leeds, Leeds LS1 3EX

Corresponding author: Dr M. H. Wilcox (e-mail markwi{at}pathology.leeds.ac.uk).

Received 6 March 2002; revised version received 21 May 2002; accepted 4 June 2002.

Clostridium perfringens has been reported as the cause of up to 15% of cases of antibiotic-associated diarrhoea (AAD) and may be diagnosed by detection of enterotoxin (CPEnt) in faeces. The performance of a commercial ELISA method for CPEnt, with culture and PCR methods to confirm the presence of enterotoxigenic C. perfringens, was evaluated in 200 consecutive specimens from patients with clinical details suggestive of AAD: 8% of the specimens were positive for CPEnt, 16% were positive for C. difficile cytotoxin and 2% gave positive test results for both C. perfringens and C. difficile toxins. Culture and PCR results confirmed the majority of ELISA results, although 2 (12.5%) reactive specimens were only weakly positive. C. perfringens is a potentially important cause of infective AAD and can be detected with the C. perfringens enterotoxin ELISA kit, although weak positive results should be considered with caution.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				F. Rafii, M. Park, A. E. Bryant, S. J. Johnson, and R. D. Wagner Enhanced Production of Phospholipase C and Perfringolysin O (Alpha and Theta Toxins) in a Gatifloxacin-Resistant Strain of Clostridium perfringens Antimicrob. Agents Chemother., March 1, 2008; 52(3): 895 - 900. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				N. Camacho, C. Espinoza, C. Rodriguez, and E. Rodriguez Isolates of Clostridium perfringens recovered from Costa Rican patients with antibiotic-associated diarrhoea are mostly enterotoxin-negative and susceptible to first-choice antimicrobials J. Med. Microbiol., March 1, 2008; 57(3): 343 - 347. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				N. J. Asha, D. Tompkins, and M. H. Wilcox Comparative Analysis of Prevalence, Risk Factors, and Molecular Epidemiology of Antibiotic-Associated Diarrhea Due to Clostridium difficile, Clostridium perfringens, and Staphylococcus aureus. J. Clin. Microbiol., August 1, 2006; 44(8): 2785 - 2791. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S S Johal, J Hammond, K Solomon, P D James, and Y R Mahida Clostridium difficile associated diarrhoea in hospitalised patients: onset in the community and hospital and role of flexible sigmoidoscopy Gut, May 1, 2004; 53(5): 673 - 677. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				K. Miyamoto, Q. Wen, and B. A. McClane Multiplex PCR Genotyping Assay That Distinguishes between Isolates of Clostridium perfringens Type A Carrying a Chromosomal Enterotoxin Gene (cpe) Locus, a Plasmid cpe Locus with an IS1470-Like Sequence, or a Plasmid cpe Locus with an IS1151 Sequence J. Clin. Microbiol., April 1, 2004; 42(4): 1552 - 1558. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				Q. Wen, K. Miyamoto, and B. A. McClane Development of a Duplex PCR Genotyping Assay for Distinguishing Clostridium perfringens Type A Isolates Carrying Chromosomal Enterotoxin (cpe) Genes from Those Carrying Plasmid-Borne Enterotoxin (cpe) Genes J. Clin. Microbiol., April 1, 2003; 41(4): 1494 - 1498. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]