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treatment of clostridium difficile diarrhoea with brewer's yeast. 19947904014
diarrhoea associated with clostridium difficile in aids patients receiving rifabutin. 19947905569
neutrophil recruitment in clostridium difficile toxin a enteritis in the rabbit.neutrophil infiltration is a prominent feature of clostridium difficile-associated enteritis and colitis. the aim of this study was to examine the importance of neutrophil recruitment and neutrophil-mediated tissue damage in c. difficile toxin a-induced enteritis. competitive binding experiments using purified 3h-toxin a demonstrated the presence of a single class of medium affinity receptors on rabbit neutrophils (kd 7 x 10(-8) m). pertussis toxin and the nonhydrolyzable gtp analog gtpgamma s b ...19947907603
clostridium difficile diarrhoea and rifabutin. 19947908385
hyperphosphorylation of calnexin, a chaperone protein, induced by clostridium difficile cytotoxin.exposure of mccoy cultured cells to clostridium difficile cytotoxin b or okadaic acid (oa), a potent phosphatase inhibitor, results in similar morphological changes. using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, we have detected a protein of approximately 77 kda, with a pi of 4.5 (termed pp77) which is hyperphosphorylated in both cases. the level of phosphorylation of pp77 is increased by 293% and 35% after treatment with c. difficile cytotoxin b or oa, respectively. this protein was identified by ...19948074658
etiology and management of toxic megacolon in patients with human immunodeficiency virus infection.we report six cases of toxic megacolon in patients with human immunodeficiency virus (hiv). one case, at an early stage of hiv infection, mimicked a severe attack of crohn's disease, with a negative search for infectious agents. subtotal colectomy was successfully performed with an uneventful postoperative course. the five other cases concerned patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome at a late stage of immunodeficiency. they were related to clostridium difficile or cytomegalovirus (cmv) ...19948076773
two-year study of endemic enteric pathogens associated with acute diarrhea in new caledonia.a longitudinal study of diarrheal disease among patients of all ages with acute diarrhea was carried out in new caledonia from january 1990 to december 1991. stool samples from 2,088 diarrheal patients were examined for parasites, rotavirus, and bacterial pathogens. potential sources of contamination (drinking water, seawater and bovine and porcine feces) were investigated. one or more enteric pathogens were identified in 41.8 and 40.6% of the persons with diarrhea, in 1990 and 1991, respectivel ...19948077399
special organism isolation: attempting to bridge the gap. 19948077647
wide diversity of clostridium difficile types at a tertiary referral hospital.nosocomial clostridium difficile infection was investigated at a hospital with 15 cases of c. difficile diarrhea per 1000 discharges. from january 1991 to may 1991, patients admitted or transferred to five wards or units had weekly rectal swabs taken for culture; in addition, all cytotoxin-positive stools were cultured. restriction enzyme analysis (rea) was used for molecular typing. among 205 isolates from 39 patients with c. difficile diarrhea and 67 asymptomatically colonized, 55 distinct rea ...19948077719
pseudomembranous colitis: a surgical disease?pseudomembranous colitis (pmc) is an increasingly common nosocomial infection caused by clostridium difficile and its toxins. the disease is usually successfully treated with oral vancomycin. the toxic form of pmc, which requires surgical intervention, is uncommon and often carries a high mortality rate. the indications and recommended surgical procedure and the results of current surgical treatment remain unclear.19948079179
decrease in nosocomial clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea by restricting clindamycin use.to report the investigation and effective control of a nosocomial epidemic of clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea.19948080497
vascular and glomerular effects of clostridium difficile toxin a peptide on the isolated rat kidney.toxin a peptide from clostridium difficile caused damage and secretion in the intestinal mucosa. these effects are mediated in part by pro-inflammatory substances. in order to evaluate and compare the biologic effect of toxin a on renal vascular, glomerular and tubular functions, we studied this toxin in isolated rat kidneys. isolated kidneys from adult male wistar rats (260-320 g) were perfused with krebs-henseleit solution containing 60 mg/ml dialyzed bovine serum albumin. we studied the effec ...19948081300
clostridium difficile nosocomial infections--still lethal and persistent. 19948083502
a sustained outbreak of clostridium difficile in a general hospital: persistence of a toxigenic clone in four units.to evaluate the endemicity and epidemiology of toxigenic clostridium difficile in a sustained outbreak of antibiotic-associated diarrhea.19948083503
antibiotic-associated pseudomembranous enteritis due to clostridium difficile.although pseudomembranous colitis is relatively common following antibiotic exposure, there have been few reported cases of pseudomembrane formation involving the small intestine. herein we report a case of pseudomembranous enteritis of the small and large intestine that occurred after antibiotic exposure. the etiologic organism appears to be clostridium difficile, as evidenced by the characteristic pseudomembranous lesions and a positive elisa for toxin a in an ileal tissue specimen.19948086563
utility of newer techniques for classification and identification of pathogenic anaerobic bacteria.results of genetic and biochemical analyses have broadened our understanding of taxonomic relationships among groups of anaerobic bacteria and have led to a better understanding of the pathogenesis of infection. conventional bacteriologic methods are still of prime importance for the detection and identification of anaerobic pathogens. the use of nucleic acid probes has so far been restricted to research laboratories. a polymerase chain reaction-generated probe would be most useful for the rapid ...19948086572
clostridium difficile: history of its role as an enteric pathogen and the current state of knowledge about the organism.clostridium difficile is the most frequently identified enteric pathogen in patients with antibiotic-associated diarrhea and colitis. it accounts for 10%-25% of all cases of antibiotic-associated diarrhea and virtually all cases of antibiotic-associated pseudomembranous colitis. clinical features that distinguish infection with c. difficile from that due to many other enteric pathogens are hyperpyrexia, leukemoid reactions, toxic megacolon, pseudomembranous colitis, hypoalbuminemia, and chronic ...19948086574
genetic basis for antibiotic resistance in anaerobes.this review focuses on genetic and molecular data regarding antibiotic resistance in anaerobes, particularly clostridium perfringens, clostridium difficile, bacteroides species, and prevotella species. the determinants of resistance are frequently transferable through a conjugation-like process; plasmid self-transfer, plasmid mobilization, or (in bacteroides species) chromosomal conjugative elements can be involved. the determinants can be localized on transposons. at the genetic level, resistan ...19948086579
pseudomembranous colitis associated with hirschsprung's disease. 19947888555
use of gene amplification to detect clostridium difficile in clinical specimens.the combined use of an enrichment broth and gene amplification following simple dna extraction to detect toxigenic strains of clostridium difficile in feces was investigated by examining feces from 329 cases of suspected c. difficile infection. dna was extracted by heating the washed centrifuged deposit from the broth in a microwave oven. for comparison, specimens were tested concurrently using standard methods for culture and cytotoxin testing. amplified fragments were identified by molecular w ...19947892052
evaluation of an enzyme immunoassay kit for the detection of clostridium difficile enterotoxin.the premier clostridium difficile toxin a enzyme immunoassay (eia) kit was evaluated for the detection of c. difficile enterotoxin in fecal samples. a total of 314 samples was tested by culture, cytotoxin detection and eia kit. compared to a combined culture/cytotoxin result the premier eia kit had a sensitivity of 88.3%, a specificity of 100%, a predictive value positive of 100% and a predictive value negative of 87.4%. test results were available within 3 hrs providing a rapid and reliable mea ...19947892053
asymptomatic intestinal colonization by clostridium difficile in preterm neonates. 19947892095
the effect of clostridium difficile toxin on colonocyte prostanoid activity.antibiotic-associated colitis is caused by clostridium difficile toxin. however, the pathophysiology of this entity is poorly understood. the aim of this study was to determine the effects of c. difficile toxin on colonocyte cyclooxygenase and phospholipase a2 (pla2) activity. a transformed colonocyte cell line (caco-2) was grown to confluency on 6 well plates. the cells were stimulated with graded concentrations of c. difficile toxin. in separate experiments, the cells were pretreated for one h ...19947892508
intravenous teicoplanin does not prevent clostridium difficile associated diarrhea.a 59-year-old man with the diagnosis of endocarditis of the mitral valve due to streptococcus mitis was treated with penicillin g, gentamicin, and later with clindamycin as inpatient for 3 weeks. thereafter outpatient therapy with parenteral teicoplanin 3 x per week was initiated. after 17 days of teicoplanin treatment he developed severe diarrhea, and stool samples were positive for clostridium difficile toxin. in addition to the ongoing parenteral therapy with teicoplanin, oral teicoplanin was ...19947894224
diarrhea with enteral feeding: prospective reappraisal of putative causes.our objective was to test, in tube-fed patients whether treatment with antibiotics, the presence of hypoalbuminemia, or the use of hypertonic tube feeding is associated with a higher incidence of diarrhea; how often tube feeding actually causes diarrhea; and whether administration of a lactobacillus preparation reduces the incidence of diarrhea. our study design included a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of patients on tube feeding for at least 5 days. stool weights and clinic ...19947819650
[susceptibility of strict anaerobic bacteria to antibiotics in france: a multicenter study].during 1992, the in vitro antibiotic susceptibility of 462 anaerobic bacteria was performed in 7 hospitals, by the reference agar dilution method. among the 222 bacteroides fragilis group strains, only one bacteroides fragilis strain was resistant to imipenem and all bêtalactams, even combined with bêtalactamase-inhibitors while metronidazole resistance could not be detected. one major outer membrane protein (probably a porin) was lacking in some of the six amoxicillin-clavulanic acid resistant ...19947824321
clinical significance of clostridium difficile and its toxins in faeces of immunocompromised children.in this study, clinical and laboratory findings were tested for correlation with the presence of clostridium difficile. the toxigenicity of the isolated strains and the toxins were determined in faecal samples of immunocompromised children admitted to a single room for protective isolation. using the toxin assay as the gold standard, the culture sensitivity of toxigenic c difficile was 94.1%, the specificity 93.8%, the positive predictive value 62.8%, and the negative predictive value 99.3%. cor ...19947828982
[antibiotic-associated colitis--clostridium difficile colitis]. 19947837446
toxin-related diarrheas. 19947838605
effect of fiber source on short-chain fatty acid production and on the growth and toxin production by clostridium difficile.fermentable fiber promotes the growth of resident gut microbes, which modify the environment of the gastrointestinal tract and thus prevent colonization by clostridium difficile.19947839098
quality improvement for routine screening and diagnosis of diarrheal illness identified from adverse drug reaction reporting. 19947841579
effectiveness of liquid soap vs. chlorhexidine gluconate for the removal of clostridium difficile from bare hands and gloved hands.to compare liquid soap versus 4% chlorhexidine gluconate in 4% alcohol for the decontamination of bare or gloved hands inoculated with an epidemic strain of clostridium difficile.19947852725
typing of clostridium difficile by polymerase chain reaction with an arbitrary primer.we assessed the use of the polymerase chain reactions (pcr) with an arbitrary primer (ap-pcr) to investigate a major hospital outbreak of diarrhoea due to clostridium difficile. a single pattern consisting of three bands of 240, 580 and 1100 bp was obtained from all isolates studied. ap-pcr is a simple, rapid technique which should find increased application in the rapid investigation of suspected outbreaks of many different bacterial species, particularly new pathogens or those for which no acc ...19947852736
reactivity of the cd d-1 latex test with clostridium difficile and other bacteria.the reactivity of a commercial latex test with thirty-three species of bacteria was tested. toxigenic and nontoxigenic strains of clostridium difficile gave a positive result in the cd d-1 latex test. cross-reactions were also given by c. putrificum, c. sporogenes and proteolytic c. botulinum.19947855649
role of toxins a and b in the pathogenesis of clostridium difficile disease. 19947861949
activity of wy-49605 compared with those of amoxicillin, amoxicillin-clavulanate, imipenem, ciprofloxacin, cefaclor, cefpodoxime, cefuroxime, clindamycin, and metronidazole against 384 anaerobic bacteria.the national committee for clinical laboratory standards agar dilution method was used to compare the in vitro activity of wy-49605 (also called sun/sy 5555 and alp-201), a new broad-spectrum oral penem, to those of amoxicillin, amoxicillin-clavulanate, imipenem, ciprofloxacin, cefaclor, cefpodoxime, cefuroxime, clindamycin, and metronidazole against 384 clinically isolated anaerobes. these anaerobic organisms included 90 strains from the bacteroides fragilis group, 87 prevotella and porphyromon ...19947872754
clostridium difficile in antibiotic associated pediatric diarrhea.a case control study was carried out at the medical wards of dr. b.c. roy memorial hospital for children, calcutta, between january and september 1989. one hundred eleven hospitalized children up to the age of 5 years, receiving antibiotics for different medical problems, developed antibiotic associated diarrhea. isolation of clostridium difficile as sole pathogen was very low (3.6%) from these patients. fecal samples of 111 case matched control children were also screened for c.difficile. only ...19947875833
[effect of biapenem (l-627) on fecal flora in gnotobiotic mice and children].biapenem (l-627), a novel injectable carbapenem antibiotic, was studied with regard to its effect on mice inoculated with four types of bacteria and on the intestinal flora of pediatric patients. l-627 was given i.m., 40 mg/kg once daily for 5 consecutive days, to mice inoculated enterically with four types of bacteria (escherichia coli, enterococcus faecalis, bacteroides fragilis, and bifidobacterium breve). except for a mild decrease in e. coli, there were no major fluctuations in viable bacte ...19947877249
investigation of a nosocomial outbreak of clostridium difficile-associated diarrhoea among aids patients by random amplified polymorphic dna (rapd) assay.clostridium difficile is now well-established as the main cause of antibiotic-associated diarrhoea or colitis. nosocomial acquisition of c. difficile has been described among various immunocompromised patient populations. from january to december 1992, 19 cases of antibiotic-associated diarrhoea occurred among aids patients in the same ward of a hospital. they all harboured c. difficile in their stools. all the strains were retrospectively typed by the random amplified polymorphic dna (rapd) met ...19947911484
proposed unified nomenclature for clostridium difficile typing. 19947911908
neuronal involvement in the intestinal effects of clostridium difficile toxin a and vibrio cholerae enterotoxin in rat ileum.activation of intestinal mast cells and neurons is involved in intestinal inflammation and diarrhea. this study compared the effects of neuronal inhibitors and inhibition of intestinal sensory afferent nerves on the intestinal actions of clostridium difficile toxin a, an inflammatory enterotoxin, and cholera toxin, a noninflammatory enterotoxin.19947915699
management and control of a large outbreak of diarrhoea due to clostridium difficile.in the six-month period 1 november 1991 to 1 may 1992 175 patients developed diarrhoea due to clostridium difficile in three hospitals in manchester, uk. most patients (90%) were over 60 years old and had been admitted to acute geriatric or medical wards with other illnesses. infection is thought to have contributed to 17 deaths. twenty-two patients relapsed clinically after antibiotic treatment. the outbreak began in one ward and affected 15 patients and two nurses. during the following months ...19947916358
immunoglobulin g directed against toxins a and b of clostridium difficile in the general population and patients with antibiotic-associated diarrhea.serum immunoglobulin g (igg) class antibodies directed against toxins a and b of clostridium difficile were studied using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and a serum-neutralizing assay based on the mrc-5 tissue cytotoxicity assay. of 185 individuals, 46 sera (24%) in the general population demonstrated igg antibody, 36 (19.4%) against toxin a and 15 (8.1%) against toxin b. antibody titer in the general population did not correlate with serum-neutralizing activity. antibody prevalence fell w ...19947924215
development and clinical evaluation of an amplified flow cytometric fluoroimmunoassay for clostridium difficile toxin a.a rapid (2 h) amplified flow cytometric fluoroimmunoassay (afcf) for clostridium difficile toxin a was developed and compared with the cytotoxin assay (cta) and culture of the organism from stool specimens from patients with suspected c. difficile-associated gastrointestinal disease (cad). for this assay polyclonal antitoxin a was attached to 10-microns diameter and monoclonal antitoxin a was attached to fluorescent 0.1 micron-diameter polystyrene microspheres. the microspheres and sample were r ...19947924698
etiology and outcome of diarrhea after marrow transplantation: a prospective study.acute diarrhea after marrow transplant is usually ascribed to acute graft-vs.-host disease (gvhd) or infection, with a reported 40%-50% incidence of infection. the aim of this study was to determine the incidence of acute diarrhea after transplantation, its causes, and its outcome.19947926504
cloning of a genetic determinant from clostridium difficile involved in adherence to tissue culture cells and mucus.our laboratory has previously shown that clostridium difficile adherence to caco-2 cells is greatly enhanced after heat shock at 60 degrees c and that it is mediated by a proteinaceous surface component. the experiments described here show that c. difficile could adhere to several types of tissue culture cells (vero, hela, and kb) after heat shock. the type of culture medium (liquid or solid, with or without blood) had little effect on adhesion. to clone the adhesin gene, polyclonal antibodies a ...19947927694
rapid detection of toxigenic clostridium difficile in fecal samples by magnetic immuno pcr assay.rapid detection of toxigenic clostridium difficile in fecal samples was accomplished with the magnetic immuno pcr assay (mipa). elaborate dna extraction techniques were unnecessary. first, we generated a mouse monoclonal antibody (mab) reactive with only c. difficile, clostridium sordellii, and clostridium bifermentans. then, magnetic beads were coated with the mab, incubated with fecal samples to allow binding with c. difficile, extracted from the stool with a magnet, and processed in the pcr w ...19947929748
[a role of platelet activating factor in experimental hemorrhagic enteritis induced by clostridium difficile toxin].clostridium difficile is thought to be an important causative agent of antibiotics associated colitis. however its mechanisms are not fully understood. the present study was designed to elucidate the effect of paf and free radicals on experimental hemorrhagic enteritis induced by clostridium difficile toxin. paf concentration in the portal blood and accumulated fluid, disturbance of the vascular endothelial cells in the ligated jejunal loops and chemiluminescence activity of wbc in the control g ...19947933638
cytomegalovirus infection rate among heart transplant patients in relation to anti-thymocyte immunoglobulin induction therapy. copenhagen heart transplant group.during a 2-year period, 49 patients underwent heart transplantation at rigshospitalet, copenhagen. nine (18%) were females and the mean age for all patients was 44 years (range 14-56 years). immunosuppressive therapy included cyclosporin, azathioprine and steroids in all patients. 43 patients received in addition short-term (approx. 4 days) induction treatment with antithymocyte immunoglobulin (atg). 17 patients received atg fresenius, 2.5 mg/kg/day or atgam, 12.5 mg/kg/day, whereas the remainin ...19947939422
treatment of clostridium difficile associated diarrhea and colitis with an oral preparation of teicoplanin; a dose finding study. the swedish cdad study group.92 patients with antibiotic-associated diarrhea were randomized to receive oral teicoplanin 100 mg twice daily for 7 days (bid group); or 50 mg 4 times daily for 3 days, followed by 100 mg twice daily for 4 days (qid group) in a randomized, double-blind, multicentre study. clostridium difficile was demonstrated by culture and/or cytotoxin test in 49 (53%) patients, of whom 47 (23 male, 24 females, mean age 65 years; 23 in the bid group, 24 in the qid group) were evaluable for clinical efficacy. ...19947939431
[etiology, diagnosis and course of infectious diarrhea in the liestal canton hospital (5-year retrospective study)].between 1987 and 1991 219 patients (1.3% of all hospitalized patients) with acute infectious diarrhea were investigated retrospectively. 52% of the patients were hospitalized and 48% were outpatients. in 55% the inducing diarrhea microorganism could be identified. the most frequently detected pathogens were endemic salmonella sp. and campylobacter jejuni (65%). imported diarrheas (shigella sp. and parasites) were rare, as only 15% of the patients had a history of travel. all clostridium difficil ...19947939515
surgical patients with pseudomembranous colitis: factors affecting prognosis.although several studies have identified the factors that contribute to the development of antibiotic-associated colitis (aac), little data are available in regard to those factors that may affect the prognosis of patients with the disease. therefore we conducted a retrospective analysis of 201 surgical patients with aac to identify risk factors predictive of increased morbidity or mortality.19947940177
update on clostridium difficile-induced colitis, part 1.recent findings on the epidemiology, pathogenesis, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, and treatment of clostridium difficile-induced colitis (cdic) are discussed. cdic is a gastrointestinal disorder that results from colonization by and overgrowth of c. difficile. among patients in the community who are treated with an oral antimicrobial, only 1 to 3 individuals per 100,000 develop cdic, compared with as many as 1 per 100 hospitalized patients treated with an antimicrobial. the requirements for ...19947942905
update on clostridium difficile-induced colitis, part 2.clostridium difficile is a nosocomial pathogen able to survive unfavorable environments by sporulation; when conditions advantageous for rapid growth appear, the vegetative form is regenerated. lack of conscientious hand washing and failure of health care providers to use disposable gloves facilitate transmission within institutions. exposure to certain antimicrobials expedites c. difficile overgrowth within the colon by altering the composition of the normal gut microflora. antineoplastic agent ...19947942924
case report: transverse colon volvulus in a patient with clostridium difficile pseudomembranous colitis.sixty-eight cases of transverse colon volvulus have been reported in the literature. the authors report the first case of transverse colon volvulus in association with clostridium difficile pseudomembranous colitis, with a review of the available literature. it is possible that the acute inflammation of the colonic mucosa, which occurred from the pseudomembranous colitis in this patient, contributed to the development of volvulus. further studies are needed to explore the role of mucosal inflamm ...19947942985
fecal shedding of clostridium difficile in dogs: a period prevalence survey in a veterinary medical teaching hospital.the goal of this study was to determine the fecal prevalence of clostridium difficile in dogs who were patients at a veterinary medical teaching hospital. stool specimens collected from 152 dogs (in- and outpatients) were analyzed for the presence of c. difficile. an additional 42 stool specimens were collected and examined from dogs recently housed at local animal shelters. following culture on selective medium, c. difficile was identified by a latex agglutination test, and the presence of the ...19947948204
comparison of ribotyping, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and random amplified polymorphic dna for typing clostridium difficile strains.clostridium difficile is a gram-positive sporulating anaerobic bacillus which causes pseudomembranous colitis. nosocomial acquisition of this bacteria has proved frequent, and epidemiological markers are needed to recognize and control common-source outbreaks. we therefore compared the results of pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (pfge) after restriction with smai or nrui, random-amplified polymorphic dna (rapd) using 3 10-mer oligonucleotides, and ribotyping to differentiate between 30 unrelated ...19947958778
the role and timing of surgery in the treatment of pseudomembranous colitis. a case complicated by toxic megacolon.the authors describe a particularly serious case of pseudomembranous colitis due to clostridium difficile that was complicated by toxic megacolon. it was resolved by surgical intervention, and the reasons why subtotal colectomy is preferable to simple ileostomy are discussed.19947959580
the relationship between an increase in beta-lactamase activity after oral administration of three new cephalosporins and protection against intestinal ecological disturbances.forty-four healthy volunteers were given either amoxycillin (ten subjects), cefpodoxime proxetil (ten subjects), ceftibuten (14 subjects) or cefuroxime axetil (ten subjects) orally for 7-10 days, in order to study the ecological effects on the intestinal microflora. in all three groups receiving oral cephalosporins there was a significant increase in beta-lactamase activity during administration (p < 0.05). there was also an inverse correlation between enzyme activity in faeces during administra ...19947961199
probing the action of clostridium difficile toxin b in xenopus laevis oocytes.clostridium difficile toxin b and clostridium botulinum c3 exoenzyme caused comparable morphological alteration of cho cells, which was accompanied by disaggregation of the microfilamental cytoskeleton. the cytotoxic effect of toxin b was correlated with a decrease in c3-catalyzed adp-ribosylation of the low-molecular-mass gtp-binding protein rho, which is involved in the regulation of the actin cytoskeleton. we used xenopus laevis oocytes as a model to study the toxin effect on rho in more deta ...19947962205
clostridium difficile toxin a-induced microvascular dysfunction. role of histamine.clostridium difficile toxin a (tx-a) mediates secretion and inflammation in experimental enterocolitis. intravital video microscopy was used to define the mechanisms that underlie the inflammatory reactions elicited by direct exposure of the microvasculature to tx-a. leukocyte adherence and emigration, leukocyte-platelet aggregation, and extravasation of fitc-albumin were monitored in rat mesenteric venules exposed to tx-a. significant increases in leukocyte adherence and emigration (lae) and al ...19947962537
evaluation of three commercial enzyme immunoassay kits for detecting faecal clostridium difficile toxins.the detection of faecal cytotoxicity using tissue culture was compared with three commercial clostridium difficile enzyme immunoassay (eia) kits; premier c difficile toxin a (meridian diagnostic, inc.); cd-tox c difficile toxin a (porton cambridge); and cytoclone a+b eia (cambridge biotech corporation). of 160 faecal samples examined by all four methods, 52 (32.5%) were cytotoxic, 44 (27.5%) were positive by premier, 48 (30%) by cd-tox eia, and 50 (31.3%) with cytoclone. when compared with detec ...19947962611
comparison of the toxa test with cytotoxicity assay and culture for the detection of clostridium difficile-associated diarrhoea disease.stool samples (355 from 350 patients) were examined in a new commercial assay, the toxa test, for the rapid diagnosis of clostridium difficile-associated diarrhoea. the results were compared with direct assay of cytotoxin in mccoy cell tissue culture, and detection of toxigenic c. difficile by culture and cytotoxin testing of isolates. discordant results were resolved by consultation of clinical records. test sensitivities were 84.6% for the toxa test, 78.5% for the direct cytotoxicity assay and ...19947966202
toxin production by clostridium difficile in a defined medium with limited amino acids.basal defined medium (bdm) containing vitamins, minerals and seven amino acids--(/l) tryptophan 0.1 g, methionine 0.2 g, valine 0.3 g, isoleucine 0.3 g, proline 0.3 g, leucine 0.4 g and cysteine 0.5 g--which appeared to be essential for good growth of clostridium difficile was prepared. addition of glycine 0.2 g/l and threonine 0.4 g/l to bdm produced better growth of strain vpi 10463, and this defined medium was designated minimum amino acid-defined medium (madm). production of toxins a and b b ...19947966203
clostridium difficile toxin a therapy for hct 116 human colon cancer in nude mice.clostridium difficile toxin a was evaluated for an antitumor effect in vivo on hct 116 human colon carcinoma cells growing subcutaneously in nude mice. a mean reduction in tumor volume of at least 65%, by measurement in three dimensions, was observed in mice who received two 9- to 13-day courses of daily intraperitoneal injections of toxin a as compared to mice receiving diluent alone. reversible adverse effects of toxin a were noted in some animals, consisting primarily of liver toxicity and sk ...19947967609
mutagenesis of the clostridium difficile toxin b gene and effect on cytotoxic activity.toxins a and b of clostridium difficile are large cytotoxic proteins that share several unusual structural features, including four conserved cysteines, a potential nucleotide binding site, a hydrophobic region, and a series of contiguous repeating units at the carboxyl terminus. in the following study, we developed a series of toxin b mutants with altered properties in each of these features and examined the effect of the mutation on cytotoxic activity. altering conserved cysteines to serine re ...19947968458
clostridium difficile colitis: epidemiology, pathophysiology, and treatment. 19947969226
cytomegalovirus infection causing pseudomembranous colitis.a liver transplant patient with previous episodes of diarrhea and pseudomembranous colitis due to clostridium difficile subsequently developed pseudomembranous colitis due to cytomegalovirus. the patient responded to ganciclovir. cytomegalovirus infection should be considered in the differential of pseudomembranous colitis in immunocompromised patients, particularly when c. difficile toxin assays or cultures are negative.19947977254
hospital carpeting and epidemiology of clostridium difficile.clostridium difficile is the usual and most important cause of antibiotic-associated pseudomembranous enterocolitis. the source of nosocomial acquisition of the organism in nonepidemic settings has not been determined.19947985820
comparison of restriction endonuclease analysis, ribotyping, and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis for molecular differentiation of clostridium difficile strains.a combined clinical and molecular epidemiologic analysis of 46 strains of clostridium difficile, including 16 nosocomial isolates from one ward (outbreak ward) plus 17 other nosocomial isolates and 13 community-acquired isolates, was performed. hindiii digests of total cellular dna were analyzed by restriction enzyme analysis (rea) and ribotyping; smai digests were analyzed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (pfge). isolates were assigned to typing groups on the basis of the profiles detected; ...19947989550
a rapid test for infectious and inflammatory enteritis.inflammatory illnesses are an indication for specific diagnostic studies and possible antimicrobial therapy. the presence of fecal leukocytes has been used as a marker of inflammatory diarrhea; however, microscopic examination of the fecal smear is unreliable if the specimen is transported, refrigerated, frozen, or collected by swab.19947993149
clostridium difficile infection: a common clinical problem for the general internist.considering the current wide use of antimicrobial agents, the general internist is commonly faced with the patient at risk for diarrhea due to c. difficile. the diagnosis should be considered for any patient with diarrhea who has received any type of antibiotic therapy in the preceding 4-6 weeks. symptoms may range from a minor bout of diarrhea to fulminant and fatal colitis. diagnosis usually requires demonstration of the toxin in stool; culture of the organism and fiberoptic endoscopy may play ...19947996299
[identification of toxigenic clostridium difficile strains isolated from alimentary tract of dogs by pcr].twenty eight clostridium difficile strains were investigated. eleven strains were toxin a and toxin b gene positive. four strains were negative for both genes. these results correlate with results of cytotoxicity assay. we identified 13 clostridium difficile strains toxin a gene positive and toxin b gene negative.19947996938
genes encoding homologues of three consecutive enzymes in the butyrate/butanol-producing pathway of clostridium acetobutylicum are clustered on the clostridium difficile chromosome.screening of a clostridium difficile lambda embl3 gene library with antisera raised against c. difficile culture supernatant identified several clones expressing a 31-kda protein. a 1.8-kb hindiii fragment subcloned from one of the clones was sufficient for expression of the 31-kda polypeptide. southern blot analysis showed a region homologous to this fragment to be present in all of 13 different c. difficile strains tested. sequence analysis of the 1.8-kb fragment revealed three adjacent open r ...19948001771
pseudomembranous enterocolitis and hemorrhagic necrotizing enterocolitis in hirschsprung's disease.from 1977 to 1991, we encountered 67 patients with hirschsprung's disease and 14 of them developed enterocolitis, with 3 cases being fatal. enterocolitis occurred preoperatively in 12 infants, as well as after ileostomy in one and after a pull-through procedure in another. seven infants had severe enterocolitis, including three with pseudomembranous enterocolitis and four with hemorrhagic necrotizing enterocolitis. enterocolitis in hirschsprung's disease mainly occurs due to intestinal obstructi ...19948003864
enterocecocolitis associated with escherichia coli and campylobacter-like organisms in a hamster (mesocricetus auratus) colony.sporadic diarrhea and weight loss were observed in a breeding colony of syrian hamsters during a 2-year period. thirteen adult hamsters with diarrhea, anorexia, and weight loss were examined. histologic lesions consisted of diffuse nonsuppurative enterocecocolitis and multifocal epithelial proliferation in the cecum and colon. goblet cell hyperplasia was extensive in the colonic mucosa of many hamsters. the hamsters in this colony had not been treated with antibiotics nor was clostridium diffici ...19948007654
use of vancomycin hydrochloride for treatment of clostridium difficile enteritis in syrian hamsters.as part of an 18-month carcinogenicity study, 680 syrian hamsters (mesocricetus auratus) received daily gavage doses of fenazaquin, an experimental miticide. mortality associated with severe enteritis was noticed beginning when the hamsters were 4 months old and ranged from one to five deaths per month until the hamsters were about 10 months old, when 41 deaths occurred in a 1-month period. ante- and postmortem findings were consistent with those reported for antibiotic-induced enteritis in hams ...19948007657
clostridium difficile-associated diarrhoea in hiv-infected patients. 19948011264
evaluation of an automated system for identification of anaerobic bacteria.a fully automated computer-assisted system (atb system, biomérieux, france) which uses disposable microenzymatic panels was evaluated for its ability to identify 215 strains of anaerobic bacteria (clinical isolates and reference strains). all strains were examined using conventional identification protocols and by gas chromatographic analysis of short-chain fatty acids. automated reading of rapid id32a test kits (biomérieux, france) by the atb system gave correct identification for 195 strains ( ...19948013485
haemagglutination activity of toxigenic and non-toxigenic strains of clostridium difficile.cell extract of clostridium difficile strains was fractionated by ammonium sulfate precipitation and sulfated cellulofine column chromatography to detect haemagglutination (ha) activity. ha activity without cytotoxicity was detected in fractions eluted at 0.79-0.91 m nacl in sulfated cellulofine column chromatography of the cell extract in both toxigenic strain vpi 10463 and non-toxigenic strain kz 1678, while toxin a was detected in fractions eluted at 0.27-0.29 m nacl. antisera were prepared w ...19948013869
risk factors for clostridium difficile stool cytotoxin b among critically ill patients: role of sucralfate.to identify risk factors other than antimicrobial exposure for clostridium difficile stool cytotoxin b, subjects admitted to critical care units over 18 months and who had stool cytotoxin assays were evaluated. twenty-two cases (cytotoxin b-positive) were compared with 125 controls (cytotoxin b-negative). cases and controls were similar with respect to age, sex, therapeutic index severity score, duration of hospitalization before cytotoxin b testing, and antimicrobial exposure. adjusted odds rat ...19948014506
cefepime: a new fourth-generation cephalosporin.the chemistry, pharmacology, antimicrobial spectrum, pharmacokinetics, clinical efficacy, adverse effects, and dosage of cefepime are reviewed. fourth-generation cephalosporins, such as cefepime, have a quaternary nitrogen that is positively charged at the 3-position, providing the properties of a zwitterion. a 2-aminothiazolyl-acetamido group in the side chain at the 7-position with an alpha-oxyimino substitution may enhance stability against beta-lactamases by preventing the enzymes' approach ...19948017411
fecal clostridium difficile carriage among medical housestaff.housestaff, physician assistants, and hospitalized patients at a teaching hospital were tested for fecal carriage of clostridium difficile. the test results showed that fecal carriage of c. difficile may not be important in the epidemiology of hospital-acquired diarrhea.19948028813
stopping an epidemic of clostridium difficile diarrhea. 19948037415
characterization of the genetic basis of antibiotic resistance in clostridium difficile.by using dot blot hybridization, 69 of 102 clostridium difficile isolates (68%) from the united states and other countries hybridized with at least one of nine dna probes for erythromycin (erm), tetracycline (tet) or chloramphenicol (cat) resistance determinants. the distribution of individual determinants in descending order of frequency was: tet m, 32%; erm q, 25%; erm fs, 18%; tet p, 15%; tet k, 15%; cat p, 15%; cat q, 12%; erm bp, 11%; tet l, 7%. this is the first report of tet p being carri ...19948040108
[imaging diagnosis in pseudomembranous colitis].pseudomembranous colitis (pc) is a dangerous inflammatory disease which arises as a complication of systemic antibiotic therapy. the colon is the preferred localization of pc, which is caused by the alteration in the bacterial population of the bowel which favors the growth and activation of several germ types--e.g., the clostridium difficile, whose toxins can damage the colonic mucosa deeply. later, the condition may affect extramucosal structures thus causing an actual parietal alteration. cli ...19948041931
clostridium difficile colitis. 19948043060
definition of a fundamental repeating unit in streptococcal glucosyltransferase glucan-binding regions and related sequences.the c-termini of the glucosyltransferases (gtfs) of oral streptococci are responsible for glucan binding. these glucan-binding domains (gbds) are composed of a series of repeated sequences that have been classified into four different classes (a-d) by virtue of sequence similarity and which, by inference, have been suggested to be of functional importance. in contrast, we propose that repeat sequences evolve in response to selection for an increase in the number of copies of a particular domain ...19948046101
evaluation of a rapid enzyme immunoassay for the detection of clostridium difficile in stools. 19948050446
characterization of six murine monoclonal antibodies specific for toxin b of clostridium difficile.six murine hybridoma cell lines producing monoclonal antibodies (mabs) specific for toxin b of clostridium difficile have been generated from toxin-immunized female rbf/dnj mice. all six antibodies were reactive in western blots with a > 200-kd protein in the supernatants of the toxigenic strain 10463 and were unreactive with similarly prepared material from the nontoxigenic strain 2037. polyclonal antisera from rabbits immunized with toxin b reacted on western blots primarily with toxin b, a 40 ...19948050780
comparison of four commercially available rapid enzyme immunoassays with cytotoxin assay for detection of clostridium difficile toxin(s) from stool specimens.rapid (2.5- to 3.5-h) enzyme immunoassays (eias) for the detection of clostridium difficile toxins have been developed. we report the results of simultaneous testing of 700 fresh stool specimens by the tissue culture cytotoxin assay and four eias (bartels prima system c. difficile toxin a eia, cambridge biotech cytoclone a+b eia, meridian diagnostics premier c. difficile toxin a eia, and techlab c. difficile tox-a test eia). in cases of disagreement, culturing for toxigenic c. difficile was perf ...19948051237
comparison of fecal lactoferrin latex agglutination assay and methylene blue microscopy for detection of fecal leukocytes in clostridium difficile-associated disease.the fecal lactoferrin assay was more sensitive (75%) than methylene blue microscopy (40%) for the detection of leukocytes in clostridium difficile toxin-positive fecal samples. although limited sensitivity and specificity precludes its use as a laboratory screening test, it may be a more useful initial test in an algorithm for clinically suspected c. difficile-associated disease.19948051268
clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea in patients with hiv positivity and aids: a prospective controlled study.to compare the clinical manifestations and therapeutic responses of clostridium difficile infection in hiv-infected and noninfected individuals.19948053439
aids and the gut.there are increasing challenges for the practising gastroenterologist in treating aids-related gastrointestinal diseases. the differential diagnoses of dysphagia and odynophagia include cytomegalovirus (cmv) and herpes simplex virus (hsv) infection, non-specific aphthous ulceration and non-aids oesophageal diseases, especially reflux oesophagitis. chronic subacute abdominal pain with nausea, vomiting, early satiety and weight loss is suggestive of an obstructive lesion caused by lymphoma or kapo ...19948054532
clostridium difficile diarrhea: pathogenesis, epidemiology, and treatment.clostridium difficile, the bacterium responsible for antibiotic-associated diarrhea and colitis, has become a significant cause of morbidity and prolonged hospital stays, largely because of the increasing use of broad-spectrum antibiotics. this gram-positive organism, which can lay dormant in its spore form in the environment for extended periods of time, proliferates in the colon when the normal colonic flora is compromised by antibiotic use. c. difficile produces intestinal inflammation and di ...19948055233
patterns and prognosis of clostridium difficile colitis.the incidence of clostridium difficile colitis has increased during recent years, presumably because of liberal use of broad-spectrum antibiotic regimens.19948055732
assay of cytopathogenic toxins in cultured cells. 19948057936
gene cloning in clostridium difficile using tn916 as a shuttle conjugative transposon.a pbr322-based vector, pci195, containing a 4.2-kb region of the conjugative transposon tn919 was used as a vector for gene cloning in clostridium difficile. the plasmid was found to integrate into the chromosome of a bacillus subtilis strain that contained tn916 delta e. southern blot analysis of the recombinant demonstrated that pci195 had inserted into tn916 delta e by a recombination event. the transposon::plasmid structure could be transferred, by filter mating, from b. subtilis to c. diffi ...19948058827
identification of outbreak-associated and other strains of clostridium difficile by numerical analysis of sds-page protein patterns.seventy-three cultures of clostridium difficile isolated both during, and in the period immediately following, an outbreak of infection in a group of three hospitals, were characterized by one-dimensional sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (sds-page) of whole-cell proteins. each protein pattern was characterized by the presence of one or two dense bands which were highly reproducible. the protein patterns were used as the basis for a numerical analysis which divided the s ...19948062865
clostridium difficile-associated diarrhoea: epidemiological data from western australia.the incidence of clostridium difficile-associated diarrhoea (cdad) was investigated retrospectively at a 690-bed teaching hospital for the period 1983-92. our aims were to determine: (i) the distribution by age and sex of patients with cdad, (ii) the possibility of a seasonal trend and, (iii) the influence of infection control procedures, contamination of the hospital environment and the use of third-generation cephalosporins. the laboratory diagnosis of cdad was based on demonstration of the or ...19948062869
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