Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Antibiotic-associated pseudomembranous colitis.

J G Bartlett

    Reviews of Infectious Diseases
    |May 1, 1979
    PubMed
    Summary
    This summary is machine-generated.

    Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) causes antibiotic-associated pseudomembranous colitis (PMC). This bacterium produces a cytotoxin linked to PMC, but its exact action on the gut remains unclear.

    Related Concept Videos

    You might also read

    Related Articles

    Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

    Sort by
    Same author

    Joint analysis of BICEP2/keck array and Planck Data.

    Physical review letters·2015
    Same author

    Rapid identification of Clostridium botulinum colonies by in vitro toxicity and antimicrobial susceptibility testing.

    World journal of microbiology & biotechnology·2014
    Same author

    Clostridium difficile infection.

    Current problems in surgery·2013
    Same author

    Future trends in antimicrobial chemotherapy: expert opinion on the 43rd ICAAC.

    Journal of chemotherapy (Florence, Italy)·2004
    Same author

    Report on new drugs.

    The Hopkins HIV report : a bimonthly newsletter for healthcare providers·2002
    Same author

    Complications of HIV therapy.

    The Hopkins HIV report : a bimonthly newsletter for healthcare providers·2002

    Area of Science:

    • Microbiology
    • Gastroenterology
    • Toxicology

    Background:

    • Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) was identified in 1935 but gained clinical significance due to its role in antibiotic-associated pseudomembranous colitis (PMC).
    • The occurrence of intestinal complications linked to C. difficile is strongly associated with prior antibiotic exposure.
    • C. difficile is rarely found in the gut flora of healthy individuals but is frequently isolated from patients with antibiotic-associated PMC.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To investigate the etiological role of C. difficile in antibiotic-associated PMC.
    • To characterize the cytotoxin produced by C. difficile and its association with PMC.
    • To explore the mechanism of C. difficile toxin action and its production in relation to antibiotic use.

    Main Methods:

    Related Experiment Videos

    • Bacteriological analysis of stool samples from patients with PMC and healthy individuals.
    • Tissue culture assays to detect and neutralize cytotoxin in stool supernates using Clostridium sordellii antitoxin.
    • Experimental animal models administered antibiotics or C. difficile cultures to induce disease.
    • Antitoxin neutralization tests and biochemical purification studies to identify the toxin-producing organism.

    Main Results:

    • Stool supernates from nearly all patients with confirmed PMC contained a cytotoxin neutralized by C. sordellii antitoxin.
    • This cytotoxin was rarely detected in individuals without gastrointestinal issues related to antibiotic use.
    • C. difficile was consistently isolated from patients with antibiotic-associated PMC but infrequently from healthy controls.
    • Experimental administration of antibiotics or C. difficile induced similar disease in animals.
    • C. difficile was identified as the sole organism producing a cytotoxin identical or similar to that found in PMC patients' stools.

    Conclusions:

    • C. difficile is the causative agent of antibiotic-associated PMC, producing a high-molecular-weight protein cytotoxin.
    • The cytotoxin appears to alter cell permeability in tissue culture.
    • The precise mechanism of the toxin's action on intestinal mucosa and its induction by antibiotics require further investigation.