Abstract
Diagnosis of Clostridium difficile-associated disease (CDAD) in neonatal pigs is accomplished, in part, by detection of toxins A (TcdA) and B (TcdB) in feces or colonic contents. Samples ( n = 115) were tested simultaneously with two toxin assays ( Clostridium difficile Tox A/B II™, TechLab, Blacksburg, VA; Gastro-tect Clostridium difficile Toxin A + B, Medical Chemical Corporation). Previous comparison of the Tox A/B II assay to the reference method (toxicity in CHO cell monolayers) revealed an overall correlation of 88%, with 91% sensitivity and 86% specificity, a positive predictive value of 86 and a negative predictive value of 84. In comparing the two EIAs, a group of nine samples were positive in both assays and a group of 92 were negative in both. However, 14 samples positive in the Tox A/B II were negative in the Gastro-tect assay. Thus, in comparison to the Tox A/B II assay, the Gastro-tect assay was 100% specific but only 39% sensitive. Its negative predictive value was 87, but its positive predictive value was 100. Thus, the Tox A/B II kit is apparently superior to the Gastro-tect Toxin A + B test for diagnosis of CDAD in neonatal pigs.
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