Abstract
Background
Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is the main cause for nosocomial diarrhea. Currently available assays for the diagnosis of CDI show deficits in sensitivity, specificity, and/or turnaround time. The Singulex Clarity® C. diff toxins A/B assay, in development for the Singulex Clarity® system, was designed to provide an accurate and automated detection of C. difficile toxins A (TcdA) and B (TcdB) in stool. Here, the analytical performance of the assay is reported.
Methods
Limits of detection (LoD) for TcdA and TcdB in stool and buffer was determined, and a preliminary cutoff, as compared with cell cytotoxicity neutralization assay (CCNA), was established. Analytical reactivity against 38 toxigenic and nontoxigenic C. difficile strains of eight different toxinotypes was determined. Cross-reactivity against 53 other gastrointestinal pathogens and potential interference by 11 endogenous and exogenous substances were determined. Reproducibility was tested with triplicate samples (n = 85), and stability was evaluated in samples stored at room temperature, refrigerated, and frozen conditions, and subjected to three freeze-thaw cycles.
Results
The LoDs for TcdA and TcdB were 0.8 and 0.3 pg/mL in buffer, and 2.0 and 0.7 pg/mL in stool, respectively. Using a preliminary cutoff, the assay demonstrated 96.3% sensitivity and 96.1% specificity compared with CCNA. The Singulex Clarity® C. diff toxins A/B assay detected toxins from all tested strains and toxinotypes. No cross-reactivity or interference were detected. The repeatability was 99%, and samples for C. difficile toxin testing were stable up to 8 hours in room temperature, 1 week in 2–8°C, 6 months in −70°C, and up to three freeze–thaw cycles.
Conclusion
The Singulex Clarity C. diff toxins A/B assay (in development) can detect TcdA and TcdB at very low concentrations and it has high sensitivity and specificity compared with CCNA. The assay demonstrates reactivity to common C. difficile strains, does not show cross-reactivity to common gastrointestinal pathogens, is robust against common interferents, allows for toxin detection in both fresh and frozen stool samples and up to three freeze–thaw cycles, and provides results with high reproducibility.
Disclosures
A. Bartolome, Singulex, Inc.: Employee, Salary. A. Almazan, Singulex, Inc.: Employee, Salary. S. Abusali, Singulex, Inc.: Employee, Salary. S. Tam, Singulex, Inc.: Employee, Salary. E. Lee, Singulex, Inc.: Employee, Salary. A. Changavi, Singulex, Inc.: Employee, Salary. W. Trinh, Singulex, Inc.: Employee, Salary. K. Chau, Singulex, Inc.: Employee, Salary. J. Estis, Singulex, Inc.: Employee, Salary. B. Noland, Singulex, Inc.: Employee, Salary. J. Bishop, Singulex, Inc.: Employee, Salary.
Developing an Automated Enzyme Immunoassay for High-Throughput Screening of Bovine Serum Antibodies to Neospora Caninum
