Patent ID: 8206940

Claim:
A method for detecting a presence of Clostridium difficile toxin and/or toxigenic C. difficile in a biological sample, the method comprising: contacting a first set of test cells with an aliquot of the sample and an amount of a toxin-enhancing antibody, wherein the test cells express an IgG Fc gamma receptor (FcγR), wherein the toxin-enhancing antibody is a monoclonal IgG isotype selected from the group of A1H3 and PCG4.1 that complexes with the toxin to enhance binding of the toxin to a cell surface of the test cells expressing the FcγR and enhances cytotoxic activity and detection of effect of the C. difficile toxin by binding to and enhancing cell death of the test cells by the toxin; and measuring cell death in the first set of test cells in comparison with a second set of the test cells not so contacted and otherwise identical as a negative control, such that the extent of test cell death in the first set of test cells in comparison to the second set of test cells indicates the presence of Clostridium difficile toxin and/or toxigenic C. difficile in the sample, whereby the toxin-enhancing antibody enhances detection of the presence of the C. difficile toxin in the biological sample.