Connecting withVirology/Serology

An enzyme immunoassay for the detection of glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) produced by both toxigenic and non-toxigenic strains of Clostridium difficile.

After treatment with antibiotics, many patients develop gastrointestinal problems ranging from mild diarrhea to severe pseudomembranous colitis. Many cases of the milder forms of gastrointestinal illness and most cases of pseudomembranous colitis are caused by Clostridium difficile, an opportunistic anaerobic bacterium that grows in the intestine once the normal flora has been altered by antibiotics.

Toxigenic strains of C. difficile carry the genes encoding the toxins whereas non-toxigenic strains do not carry the toxin genes. The disease results from the toxins that the organism produces. The clinical symptoms associated with the disease are believed to be primarily due to toxin A, which is a tissue-damaging enterotoxin. C. difficile also produces a second toxin, designated toxin B. Toxin B, which has been referred to as the cytotoxin of the organism, is the toxin detected by the tissue culture assay currently used by many laboratories.

Toxigenic C. difficile strains produce both toxins or only toxin B. The glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) of C. difficile is a good antigen marker for the organism in feces because it is produced in high amounts by all strains, toxigenic or non-toxigenic.

The antigen can be detected in fecal specimens by using the C. DIFF CHEK™ -60 test. A positive result in the test, which is highly specific for the glutamate dehydrogenase of C. difficile, confirms the presence of this organism in a fecal specimen; a negative result indicates the absence of the organism. A positive result should be followed by a toxin-specific test to confirm the presence of toxigenic C. difficile.

Features

• Easy to perform
• Results in an hour
• Sensitivity >99%
• Ideal screening test for facilities performing tissue culture

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Cat No	Description	Pack Size	Enquire
T5025	Techlab C.diff Chek (GDH)	96 well