Forward L J, Tompkins D S, Brett M M
Health Protection Agency, Yorkshire and the Humber Region, Leeds Laboratory, Bridle Path, Leeds LS15 7TR, UK 2Food Safety Microbiology Laboratory, 61 Colindale Avenue, London NW9 5HT, UK.
J Med Microbiol. 2003 Sep;52(Pt 9):753-757. doi: 10.1099/jmm.0.05119-0.
Faecal specimens from 843 cases of diarrhoea in the community were tested for the presence of Clostridium difficile cytotoxin and Clostridium perfringens enterotoxin. C. difficile cytotoxin was detected in faecal specimens from 0.6 % of cases aged at least 2 years by using a Vero cell assay. Factors associated with detection of C. difficile cytotoxin were antibiotic therapy, age over 60 years and living in a home with other elderly people. Three methods were used for the detection of C. perfringens enterotoxin: a Vero cell assay, a commercial (TechLab) enzyme immunoassay (EIA) and an in-house EIA. The lower level of detection of pure C. perfringens enterotoxin in buffer was 0.01 micro g ml(-1) by the TechLab EIA and 1.0 micro g ml(-1) by the Vero cell assay. C. perfringens enterotoxin was detected by using the TechLab EIA in faecal specimens from 2.5 % of cases. This commercial EIA was less sensitive than the in-house EIA, detecting only 31 % of positive cases, but was specific and could be used for outbreak investigation by routine diagnostic laboratories. Age over 60 years was a factor associated with C. perfringens enterotoxin detection; this age group may be targeted for testing.
对社区中843例腹泻患者的粪便标本进行艰难梭菌细胞毒素和产气荚膜梭菌肠毒素检测。通过使用Vero细胞检测法，在至少2岁患者的粪便标本中，0.6%检测到艰难梭菌细胞毒素。与艰难梭菌细胞毒素检测相关的因素有抗生素治疗、年龄超过60岁以及与其他老年人同住。采用三种方法检测产气荚膜梭菌肠毒素：Vero细胞检测法、商业（TechLab）酶免疫测定（EIA）法和内部EIA法。TechLab EIA法检测缓冲液中纯产气荚膜梭菌肠毒素的最低检测水平为0.01μg/ml，Vero细胞检测法为1.0μg/ml。通过TechLab EIA法在2.5%的病例粪便标本中检测到产气荚膜梭菌肠毒素。这种商业EIA法比内部EIA法敏感性低，仅检测到31%的阳性病例，但具有特异性，可用于常规诊断实验室的暴发调查。年龄超过60岁是与产气荚膜梭菌肠毒素检测相关的一个因素；该年龄组可能是检测的目标对象。
