Development of a microarray for identification of pathogenic Clostridium spp.

In recent years, Clostridium spp. have rapidly reemerged as human and animal pathogens. The detection and identification of pathogenic Clostridium spp. is therefore critical for clinical diagnosis and antimicrobial therapy. Traditional diagnostic techniques for clostridia are laborious, are time consuming, and may adversely affect the therapeutic outcome. In this study, we developed an oligonucleotide diagnostic microarray for pathogenic Clostridium spp. The microarray specificity was tested against 65 Clostridium isolates. The applicability of this microarray in a clinical setting was assessed with the use of mock stool samples. The microarray was successful in discriminating at least 4 species with the limit of detection as low as 104 CFU/mL. In addition, the pattern of virulence and antibiotic resistance genes of tested strains were determined through the microarrays. This approach demonstrates the high-throughput detection and identification of Clostridium spp. and provides advantages over traditional methods. Microarray-based techniques are promising applications for clinical diagnosis and epidemiologic investigations.