Newly Secreted Antibodies and Risk for Clostridioides difficile Recurrence

Lack of detectable serum antibodies or cells making antibodies against three C. difficile toxins identified patients at risk for CD recurrence.

Clostridioides difficile (CD) infection recurs up to 30% of the time, but preventative measures are costly and best allocated to those at excess risk for recurrence. A novel immunoassay capable of detecting recently activated antibody-secreting cells (ASCs) derived from activated B lymphocytes in response to CD infection (Medium Enriched for Newly Synthesized Antibodies [MENSA]) was utilized to evaluate antibodies to 10 CD antigens in patients with and without CD recurrence. Blood samples were collected at 1, 2, and 4 weeks after infection; serum, ASCs, and MENSA were isolated.

Among 46 patients with primary CD, 9 (20%) experienced recurrence within 8 weeks. Of the 37 patients without recurrence, 23 (62%) produced anti-CD antibodies against …

Reviewing Author

George Sakoulas, MD

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardParatek Pharmaceuticals; Nestle Corp.; AbbVie; Shionogi

Speaker’s BureauAllergan/AbbVie; Paratek Pharmaceuticals; Nestle Corp.

RoyaltiesUpToDate

Editorial BoardsAntimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy; Open Forum Infectious Diseases