Which statement correctly describes the toxins produced by Clostridium difficile?

Which statement correctly describes the toxins produced by Clostridium difficile?

• A. Clostridium difficile produces toxins X and Y
• B. C. difficile produces endotoxins only
• C. C. difficile produces no toxins
• D. Clostridium difficile produces toxins A and B

Answer: (D)

The main idea here is recognizing which toxins Clostridium difficile produces. C. difficile makes two major exotoxins, known as toxin A and toxin B. Toxin A is an enterotoxin that disrupts the intestinal mucosa and triggers inflammation and watery diarrhea. Toxin B is a cytotoxin that inactivates Rho family GTPases, leading to actin cytoskeleton disruption, cell rounding, breakdown of tight junctions, and tissue injury; together these toxins drive the inflammatory pseudomembranous colitis typical of C. difficile infection. Some strains may produce a binary toxin (CDT), but the classic and most important toxins are A and B. The other statements are incorrect because endotoxins are associated with Gram-negative bacteria, and C. difficile does produce toxins, not none. So the correct statement is that Clostridium difficile produces toxins A and B.

The main idea here is recognizing which toxins Clostridium difficile produces. C. difficile makes two major exotoxins, known as toxin A and toxin B. Toxin A is an enterotoxin that disrupts the intestinal mucosa and triggers inflammation and watery diarrhea. Toxin B is a cytotoxin that inactivates Rho family GTPases, leading to actin cytoskeleton disruption, cell rounding, breakdown of tight junctions, and tissue injury; together these toxins drive the inflammatory pseudomembranous colitis typical of C. difficile infection. Some strains may produce a binary toxin (CDT), but the classic and most important toxins are A and B. The other statements are incorrect because endotoxins are associated with Gram-negative bacteria, and C. difficile does produce toxins, not none. So the correct statement is that Clostridium difficile produces toxins A and B.