PCR for Detection of Clostridium difficile toxin A (tcdA)and toxin B (tcdB) genes in Iraq

Clostridium difficile is the most common cause of Antibiotic-Associated Diarrhea and Colitis, occurring after exposure to antibiotics . Although there are many diagnostic methods ,the nucleic acid-based approach has been largely performed in several laboratories, due to its high sensitivity and specificity as well as rapid . This is the first study in Iraq for detection of toxins A&B genes, and to focuses on diagnosis of C. difficile by PCR method to confirmed isolation were tested previously by culturing , Api20A and ELISA methods .Results show that all 75 positive isolation previously tested ,were having toxin A(tcdA) and toxinB(tcdB) genes . The results suggested that the combination of sample processing with the high-performance detection method would be applicable for routine diagnostic use in clinical setting. Keywords: Clostridium difficile , PCR, Api20A , ELISA