Difficiletoksin

Difficiletoksin is not a standard, formally recognized toxin in established medical or microbiological literature. In most discussions, the virulence factors most commonly associated with Clostridioides difficile are toxin A (TcdA) and toxin B (TcdB), both large glucosyltransferases that modify Rho family GTPases and disrupt the host cell cytoskeleton. Some strains also produce a binary toxin (CDT), though its exact contribution to disease is less clearly defined. The term difficiletoksin may appear in non-peer-reviewed sources or translation variants and is not used consistently as a formal toxin designation.

Because the term is not a formal label, descriptions of difficiletoksin’s properties vary by source. When referring to C. difficile toxins in general, difficiletoksin is sometimes used informally to denote the toxin complex produced by the bacterium. The consequence of these toxins is damage to intestinal epithelial cells, increased intestinal permeability, inflammation, and diarrhea, with disease ranging from mild diarrhea to severe colitis or pseudomembranous colitis.

Diagnosis of Clostridioides difficile infection relies on detecting toxin genes by PCR or detecting toxin in stool samples through immunoassays, along with clinical assessment. Treatment typically involves targeted antibiotics such as oral vancomycin or fidaxomicin for initial infection, with metronidazole less commonly used in newer guidelines. Recurrent infection may require alternative strategies, including fecal microbiota transplantation.

See also: Clostridioides difficile, TcdA, TcdB, CDT.