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Markantonis JE, Fallon JT, Madan R, Alam MZ. Clostridioides difficile Infection: Diagnosis and Treatment Challenges. Pathogens 2024; 13:118. [PMID: 38392856 PMCID: PMC10891949 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens13020118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2024] [Revised: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Clostridioides difficile is the most important cause of healthcare-associated diarrhea in the United States. The high incidence and recurrence rates of C. difficile infection (CDI), associated with high morbidity and mortality, pose a public health challenge. Although antibiotics targeting C. difficile bacteria are the first treatment choice, antibiotics also disrupt the indigenous gut flora and, therefore, create an environment that is favorable for recurrent CDI. The challenge of treating CDI is further exacerbated by the rise of antibiotic-resistant strains of C. difficile, placing it among the top five most urgent antibiotic resistance threats in the USA. The evolution of antibiotic resistance in C. difficile involves the acquisition of new resistance mechanisms, which can be shared among various bacterial species and different C. difficile strains within clinical and community settings. This review provides a summary of commonly used diagnostic tests and antibiotic treatment strategies for CDI. In addition, it discusses antibiotic treatment and its resistance mechanisms. This review aims to enhance our current understanding and pinpoint knowledge gaps in antimicrobial resistance mechanisms in C. difficile, with an emphasis on CDI therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- John E. Markantonis
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, 600 Moye Boulevard, Greenville, NC 27834, USA; (J.E.M.); (J.T.F.)
| | - John T. Fallon
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, 600 Moye Boulevard, Greenville, NC 27834, USA; (J.E.M.); (J.T.F.)
| | - Rajat Madan
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA;
- Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45220, USA
| | - Md Zahidul Alam
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, 600 Moye Boulevard, Greenville, NC 27834, USA; (J.E.M.); (J.T.F.)
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Maestri AC, Nogueira KS, Mialski R, Dos Santos EM, Kraft L, Raboni SM. Laboratory diagnosis of Clostridioides difficile infection in symptomatic patients: what can we do better? Braz J Microbiol 2023; 54:849-857. [PMID: 36991280 PMCID: PMC10234961 DOI: 10.1007/s42770-023-00956-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/31/2023] Open
Abstract
The laboratory diagnosis of Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) is challenging since this bacteria may be detected in healthy people and toxin production detection is not sensitive enough to be used alone. Thus, there is no single test with adequate sensitivity and specificity to be used in laboratory diagnosis. We evaluated the performance of tests used in the diagnosis of CDI in symptomatic patients with risk factors in hospitals in southern Brazil. Enzyme immunoassays (EIA) for glutamate dehydrogenase antigen (GDH) and toxins A/B, real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), GeneXpert system, and a two-step algorithm comprising GDH/TOXIN EIA performed simultaneously followed by GeneXpert for outliers were evaluated. Toxigenic strain in stool culture was considered CDI positive (gold standard). Among 400 samples tested, 54 (13.5%) were positive for CDI and 346 (86.5%) were negative. The diagnosis of the two-step algorithm and qPCR had an excellent performance with an accuracy of 94.5% and 94.2%, respectively. The Youden index showed that GeneXpert as a single test (83.5%) and the two-step algorithm (82.8%) were the most effective assays. Diagnosing CDI and non-CDI diarrhea could be successfully attained by the combination of clinical data with accuracy of laboratory tests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adriane C Maestri
- , Laboratório de Bacteriologia, Complexo Hospital de Clínicas da Universidade Federal do Paraná, Rua Padre Camargo, 280-Alto da Glória, CEP: 80.062-240, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Medicina Interna e Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Rua General Carneiro, 181-Alto da Glória, CEP-80060-900, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Keite S Nogueira
- , Laboratório de Bacteriologia, Complexo Hospital de Clínicas da Universidade Federal do Paraná, Rua Padre Camargo, 280-Alto da Glória, CEP: 80.062-240, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
- Departamento de Patologia Básica, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Centro Politecnico, Av. Cel. Francisco H. dos Santos, 100-Jardim das Americas, CEP-81531-980, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Rafael Mialski
- Departamento de Infectologia, Complexo Hospital de Clínicas da Universidade Federal do Paraná, Rua General Carneiro, 181-Alto da Glória, CEP-80060-900, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Erika Medeiros Dos Santos
- Hospital Pequeno Principe, Rua Desembargador Motta, 1070-Agua Verde, Curitiba-PR, 80250-060, Brazil
- Instituto de Pesquisa Pele Pequeno Principe, Av. Silva Jardim, 1632-Agua Verde, Curitiba-PR, 80250-060, Brazil
| | - Leticia Kraft
- Hospital Pequeno Principe, Rua Desembargador Motta, 1070-Agua Verde, Curitiba-PR, 80250-060, Brazil
| | - Sonia M Raboni
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Medicina Interna e Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Rua General Carneiro, 181-Alto da Glória, CEP-80060-900, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil.
- Departamento de Infectologia, Complexo Hospital de Clínicas da Universidade Federal do Paraná, Rua General Carneiro, 181-Alto da Glória, CEP-80060-900, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil.
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Martínez-Meléndez A, Cruz-López F, Morfin-Otero R, Maldonado-Garza HJ, Garza-González E. An Update on Clostridioides difficile Binary Toxin. Toxins (Basel) 2022; 14:toxins14050305. [PMID: 35622552 PMCID: PMC9146464 DOI: 10.3390/toxins14050305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2022] [Revised: 04/08/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Infection with Clostridioides difficile (CDI), a common healthcare-associated infection, includes symptoms ranging from mild diarrhea to severe cases of pseudomembranous colitis. Toxin A (TcdA) and toxin B (TcdB) cause cytotoxicity and cellular detachment from intestinal epithelium and are responsible for CDI symptomatology. Approximately 20% of C. difficile strains produce a binary toxin (CDT) encoded by the tcdA and tcdB genes, which is thought to enhance TcdA and TcdB toxicity; however, the role of CDT in CDI remains controversial. Here, we focused on describing the main features of CDT and its impact on the host, clinical relevance, epidemiology, and potential therapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrián Martínez-Meléndez
- Subdirección Académica de Químico Farmacéutico Biólogo, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Pedro de Alba S/N, Cd Universitaria, San Nicolás de los Garza 66450, Nuevo Leon, Mexico; (A.M.-M.); (F.C.-L.)
| | - Flora Cruz-López
- Subdirección Académica de Químico Farmacéutico Biólogo, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Pedro de Alba S/N, Cd Universitaria, San Nicolás de los Garza 66450, Nuevo Leon, Mexico; (A.M.-M.); (F.C.-L.)
| | - Rayo Morfin-Otero
- Instituto de Patología Infecciosa y Experimental “Dr. Francisco Ruiz Sánchez”, Centro Universitario de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Guadalajara, Calle Hospital 308, Colonia el Retiro, Guadalajara 44280, Jalisco, Mexico;
| | - Héctor J. Maldonado-Garza
- Servicio de Gastroenterología, Facultad de Medicina/Hospital Universitario “Dr. José Eleuterio González”, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Av. Francisco I. Madero Pte. S/N y Av. José E. González, Col. Mitras Centro, Monterrey 64460, Nuevo Leon, Mexico;
| | - Elvira Garza-González
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Medicina Molecular, Facultad de Medicina y Hospital Universitario “Dr. José Eleuterio González”, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Av. Francisco I. Madero Pte. S/N y Av. José E. González, Col. Mitras Centro, Monterrey 64460, Nuevo Leon, Mexico
- Correspondence:
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