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. 2003 Jul;41(7):3413-4.
doi: 10.1128/JCM.41.7.3413-3414.2003.

Molecular analysis of Clostridium difficile strains isolated from 18 cases of recurrent clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea

Yajarayma Tang-Feldman  1 , Susan Mayo, Joseph Silva Jr, Stuart H Cohen
Affiliations

Molecular analysis of Clostridium difficile strains isolated from 18 cases of recurrent clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea

Yajarayma Tang-Feldman et al. J Clin Microbiol. 2003 Jul.

Abstract

Recurrence of Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea (CDAD) occurs in 15 to 20% of patients after discontinuation of treatment. Arbitrarily primed PCR was used to investigate the epidemiology of recurrent CDAD in 18 patients. Reinfection with a new strain occurred in 6 of 18 patients (33.3%), while 12 patients relapsed with the original strain shortly after discontinuation of treatment. These data suggest that reinfection with exogenous C. difficile is a common problem and that not all recurrences are due to relapse.

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Figures

FIG. 1.
FIG. 1.
DNA-banding patterns of selected C. difficile isolates from patients with recurrent CDAD. Lanes 1 and 15, 123-bp DNA ladder; lanes 2 to 5 and lanes 12 to 14, DNA-banding patterns of isolates from three patients (lanes 2 and 3, lanes 4 and 5, and lanes 12 to 14) with recurrent CDAD due to reinfection; and lanes 6 to 11, DNA fingerprints of two patients (lanes 6 to 9 and lanes 10 and 11) with relapsing CDAD.
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