The Use of Gel Electrophoresis to Separate Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction Amplicons Allows for the Easy Identification and Assessment of the Spread of Toxigenic Strains.

is a common etiological factor of hospital infections, which, in extreme cases, can lead to the death of patients. Most strains belonging to this bacterium species synthesize very dangerous toxins: toxin A (TcdA) and B (TcdB) and binary toxin (CDT). The aim of this study was to assess the suitability of agarose gel electrophoresis separation of multiplex PCR amplicons to investigate the toxinogenic potential of strains.

High-Resolution Melting PCR as a Fast and Simple Molecular Biology-Based Method for the Identification of Hypervirulent Strains Directly in Stool Samples.

became one of the main causes of nosocomial infections in all clinical settings worldwide, especially among patients undergoing antibiotic therapy. The incidence and severity of infections, from mild diarrhea to life-threatening pseudomembranous colitis, correlate with the spread of the hypervirulent binary toxin (CDT)-producing strains. The use of the real-time HRM-PCR method enables the identification of hypervirulent strains directly in the diarrheal stool samples of patients suspected of being infected with this bacterium.