Clostridium difficile GDH Rapid Test

Clostridium difficile is an anaerobic bacteria acting as an opportunistic pathogen: it grows in the intestine when the normal flora has been altered by treatment with antibiotics. Toxinogenic strains of Clostridium difficile cause infections from milddiarrhea to pseudomembranous colitis, potentially leading to death.

Disease is caused by two toxins produced by toxinogenic strains of C.difficile: Toxin A (tissue-damaging enterotoxin) and Toxin B (cytotoxin). Some strains produce both toxins A and B, some others produce Toxin B only. The potential role of a third (binary) toxin in pathogenicity is still debated.

The use of Glutamate Dehydrogenase (GDH) as an antigen marker of C.difficileproliferation has been shown to be very effective because all strains produce high amount of this enzyme.

Clostridium difficile GDH Rapid Test allows the specific detection of C. difficile's GDH in stool specimen. Samples with a positive result should be investigated further to test for toxigenicity of the bacteria.