Increasing prevalence of toxin A-negative, toxin B-positive isolates of Clostridium difficile in Korea: impact on laboratory diagnosis

J Clin Microbiol. 2008 Mar;46(3):1116-7. doi: 10.1128/JCM.01188-07. Epub 2008 Jan 16.

Abstract

Of 462 Korean Clostridium difficile isolates, 77.5% were toxin B positive but 21.4% were toxin A negative (A(-) B(+)). The binary toxin gene was detected in nine isolates. A higher fluoroquinolone resistance of A(-) B(+) strains may contribute to the increase of these strains. Toxin A detection alone may underdiagnose C. difficile-associated disease.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / pharmacology
  • Bacterial Proteins / genetics
  • Bacterial Proteins / metabolism*
  • Bacterial Toxins / genetics
  • Bacterial Toxins / metabolism*
  • Clinical Laboratory Techniques
  • Clostridioides difficile / isolation & purification
  • Clostridioides difficile / pathogenicity*
  • Enterocolitis, Pseudomembranous / diagnosis*
  • Enterocolitis, Pseudomembranous / epidemiology
  • Enterocolitis, Pseudomembranous / microbiology
  • Enterotoxins / genetics
  • Enterotoxins / metabolism*
  • Fluoroquinolones / pharmacology
  • Humans
  • Korea / epidemiology
  • Microbial Sensitivity Tests
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction / methods
  • Prevalence

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • Bacterial Proteins
  • Bacterial Toxins
  • Enterotoxins
  • Fluoroquinolones
  • tcdA protein, Clostridium difficile
  • toxB protein, Clostridium difficile