Geriatrics Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Geriatrics, including details on old age, psychiatry, depression, medicine.

Molecular characterization of Clostridium difficile clinical isolates in a geriatric hospital.

Poilane I, Humeniuk-Ainouz C, Durand I, Janoir C, Cruaud P, Delmée M, Popoff MR, Collignon A

AP-HP, Hôpital Jean Verdier-René Muret, Service de Microbiologie, Bondy, and Université de Paris-Sud-XI, Faculté de Pharmacie, USC INRA EA3534, Châtenay-Malabry, France.

The discriminatory potential of a combination of various typing methods was evaluated on a set of 21 Clostridium difficile isolates obtained from symptomatic patients hospitalized in a geriatric unit and 7 non-toxigenic isolates from the same hospital. Isolates were firstly serotyped and toxinotyped. Of the 28 isolates, 19 belonged to serogroup A. PCR-ribotyping and PCR-RFLP on the fliC and slpA genes were then applied to these 19 isolates. The results suggest that the combination of PCR-ribotyping with PCR-RFLP analysis of slpA could be more discriminatory and suitable for studying C. difficile epidemiology.

Published 22 February 2007 in J Med Microbiol, 56: 386-90.
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