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Chlamydia pneumoniae infection in Slovenian patients with diffuse coronary artery disease.

Chlamydia pneumoniae (CP) infection might be involved in the pathogenesis of various forms of coronary artery disease (CAD), but there are no data about diffuse CAD with clinical picture of stable angina pectoris. Authors in a prospective study determined serum CP antibody levels (with MIF test) of 71 patients with coronarographically proven diffuse CAD and compared them to the age matched control group of the healthy Slovenian population. After azithromycin treatment in patients with chronic CP infection or reinfection, the CP antibody levels were determined again. A high percentage of chronic infection with CP was demonstrated (83.1%), and almost half (46.5%) of patients with diffuse CAD had reinfection or reactivation of chronic infection. A significantly higher prevalence of chronic CP infection was found in patients with diffuse CAD than in the healthy population (83.1% vs. 15.9%, p< 0.0001). After treatment with azithromycin, IgA seronegativity was achieved in 17.3%, in 23.1% the titer was lowered, however, in 57.7% of patients no change of antibody titers was found. In conclusion, a high prevalence of chronic infection with CP was found in patients with diffuse CAD. With azithromycin therapy, the eradication of chronic infection is difficult to achieve as well as to prove.

Adult↗

[Choice of antimicrobial drug for infections caused by Chlamydia trachomatis and Chlamydophila pneumoniae].

Chlamydia (C.) trachomatis is the most common bacterial cause of sexually transmitted disease in the world. A well documented feature of chlamydial infection is its high rate of recurrence among sexually active populations. However, it is difficult to distinguish whether the high rate of recurrent disease is due to reinfection or to persistent infection with the same organism. Of particular concern in this era of increasing antibiotic resistance is whether persistent infection is the consequence of increasing resistance to standard antimicrobial therapy. Azithromycin and doxycycline are considered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as first line drugs for the treatment of chlamydial infections; erythromycin, ofloxacin and levofloxacin are recommended as alternative-regimen. Although C. trachomatis has been historically sensitive to these antibiotics, in vitro resistance is being increasingly reported. However, although in vitro antimicrobial resistance has been described, the clinical significance of these findings is unknown. C. pneumoniae is associated with community-acquired pneumonias, acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis, otitis media, sinusitis and reactive airway disease. Persistent nasopharyngeal infection with C. pneumoniae has been documented in adults following acute respiratory infection. Chronic infection with C. pneumoniae has also been implicated in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, although this is still very controversial. Azithromycin, clarithromycin and quinolones are frequently used for the treatment of C. pneumoniae respiratory infections. Microbiologic failure has been described in C. pneumoniae infections, even after prolonged courses of azithromycin, erythromycin and doxycycline.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗

[Children's bronchoscopy and bronchoalveolar lavage on endogenic foreign body in bronchus].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical effect of Children's bronchoscopy and bronchoalveolar lavage on endogenic foreign body in bronchus. METHOD: (1) Three hundred and thirty-seven cases had bronchoscopy and bronchoalveolar lavage whose chest X-ray diagnoses were bronchopneumonia with one or two lobe emphysema and/or pulmonary atelectasis, in which 22 cases had severe pneumonia with heart failure and respiratory failure. All cases had no history of foreign bodies' inhalation and become more dyspnea after a three-day treatment of antibiotics. Three hundreds and thirty one cases of bronchoalveolar lavages were divided into two groups randomly using saline or azythromycin, saline group had 126 cases (aged 0 approximately 10 years, mean age, 3 years ); azithromycin group had 211 cases(aged 0 approximately 8 years, mean age, 3.1 years). RESULT: There were 331 cases of endotracheal endogenous purulent emboli, 126 cases in left lung, 178 in right, and 27 cases in both sides. Judging from nature of emboli, 305 cases were mucus, 4 cases were milk valve, 22 cases were white membrane of plastic bronchitis. In azithromycin group, 172 cases (81.2%) were cured, 39 cases (18. 8%) showed effective, the total effective rate was 100 percent. In saline group, 96 cases were cured, 24 cases showed effective, the total effective rate was 100 percent. There wasn't statistically significant between two groups in total effective rate. The average hospitalization time had a statistical significance between saline group (11 days) and azithromycin group (6 days). Two cases of complication of pneumothorax happened in operation. They recovered through closed drainage of thoracic cavity and 3 cases dead. CONCLUSION: Bronchoscopy and bronchoalveolar lavage could shorten the course of endogenic foreign body in bronchus; especially it has significance to those cases of respiratory path obstruction with heart and respiratory failure. Plastic bronchitis could be determined by bronchoscopy and a pathologic histologic examination thereafter.

Bronchi↗

Scrub typhus during pregnancy and its treatment: a case series and review of the literature.

Although scrub typhus is uncommon in pregnant women, when present, it can have serious repercussions for the mother and developing fetus. Since it is uncommon, the clinical impact of scrub typhus on pregnancy has not been elucidated and an effective and safe therapeutic regimen has not been validated. The medical records of pregnant women whose scrub typhus were treated at Chungnam National University Hospital were reviewed and their clinical outcomes were evaluated. A review of the literature was also performed on pregnant women with scrub typhus and their clinical outcomes. Eight pregnant women with scrub typhus were treated successfully with a single 500-mg dose of azithromycin, and no relapses were reported. They all delivered healthy babies at term, without congenital or neonatal complications. In the reviews, azithromycin was effective against scrub typhus and had favorable pregnancy outcomes. Ciprofloxacin and cefuroxime failed to treat scrub typhus and fetal loss resulted. A single 500-mg dose of azithromycin may be a reasonable treatment regimen for pregnant women with scrub typhus. Ciprofloxacin might not be advisable for the treatment of scrub typhus during pregnancy. Scrub typhus itself seems to have serious adverse effects on pregnancy if not appropriately controlled.

Adult↗

[Comparative activity of several antibiotics against Toxoplasma gondii in a mouse model].

BACKGROUND: Infections with Toxoplasma gondii poses a great hazard to immunocompromised patients and to pregnant women. Currently, the recommended therapy for toxoplasmosis is the synergistic combination of pyrimethamine and sulfadiazine (P/S). However, this therapeutic regimen may be toxic or only partially effective. Because pyrimethamine is potentially teratogenic, its use during the early months of pregnancy is not recommended. There is a critical need for newer and safer compounds for the treatment of toxoplasmosis. These considerations led us to evaluate other potential therapeutic agents--minocycline, clindamycin, roxithromycin, azithromycin, clarithromycin and miocamycin--as well as comparison of P/S and spiramycin efficacy against T. gondii. METHODS: The activity of antibiotics was tested in a murine model of acute toxoplasmosis. NMRI mice were infected intraperitoneally with 200 tachyzoites of the highly virulent RH strain of T. gondii, and treated, every 12 h or 24 h, for ten consecutive days. RESULTS: P/S (a dose of 4/250 mg/kg of body weight per day), minocycline (200 mg/kg) and azithromycin (200 mg/kg) were the most active compounds (100% of mice survival). Clindamycin, roxithromycin, spiramycin and clarithromycin were less effective. Miocamycin was not effective in this model. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings support the view that minocycline and azithromycin could be useful in many cases of toxoplasmosis. Clinical studies are needed to determinate the relative efficacy and safety of these antibiotics for the treatment of toxoplasmosis in humans.

Animals↗

[In vitro susceptibility of Pasteurella and related bacteria to five orally administered antibiotics].

Tetracyclines and beta-lactam antibiotics are usually recommended for the treatment of pasteurellosis following bite wounds. However other oral antimicrobial agents could be proposed. In vitro susceptibility of 94 Pasteurella strains [P. multocida (79), P. stomatis (11), P. dagmatis (2), P. canis (1), P. "SP" (1)], 20 group EF-4 strains and 28 Neisseria weaveri strains (formerly group M-5), that are bacteria often isolated after animal-inflicted wounds, was studied towards five antibiotics: clarithromycin, azithromycin, pristinamycin, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and ciprofloxacin. MICs were determined by the agar dilution method using HTM medium (Oxoïd), and for pristinamycin using both HTM and Mueller-Hinton agar supplemented with 5% horse blood (BMH). Most of Pasteurella isolates showed intermediate susceptibility to clarithromycin (63%) and to azithromycin (90.5%) with lower MICs for azithromycin. Fourty-two and thirty-two percent of Pasteurella strains were susceptible to pristinamycin respectively on HTM and on BMH. EF-4 and N. weaveri were more sensitive than Pasteurella to macrolides and to pristinamycin. Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole was active against all isolates, with higher MICs for EF-4 and N. weaveri. On all strains tested, the lowest MICs were observed for ciprofloxacin. Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and ciprofloxacin could be proposed as a therapeutic alternative in case of pasteurellosis following animal bites.

Administration, Oral↗

Antimicrobial therapy of non-viral sexually transmitted diseases--an update.

Azithromycin is an azalide antibiotic with important properties which allow it to be used as a single-dose treatment for genital Chlamydia trachomatic infections. A single 1 g dose is as effective as a standard seven-day course of doxycycline. Ofloxacin 400 mg bid for seven days is also effective against Chlamydia trachomatis. Both azithromycin 2 g and ofloxacin are also effective against uncomplicated gonorrhoea. Neisseria gonorrhoeae continues to be sensitive to third generation cephalosporins, e.g. ceftriaxone 125 mg. Oral single dose cephalosporins offer ease of administration and safety, e.g. cefixime (400 mg), cefuroxime axetil (1 g) and cefpodoxime proxetil (200 mg). The fluoroquinolones, e.g. ciprofloxacin (500 mg) and ofloxacin (400 mg), are being increasingly used as first-line medications, however, caution is recommended as the development of resistance is anticipated and already being detected in many areas. Syphilis continues to be sensitive to penicillin. This should be administered parenterally. Coexistent human immunodeficiency virus infection may make standard therapy inadequate, and closer follow-up is recommended. Therapy with non-penicillin antibiotics is still inadequately studied. Chancroid is treated with ceftriaxone, ciprofloxacin, azithromycin, or erythromycin. In some areas, resistance to tetracyclines and TMP-SMX has made these drugs ineffective as first-line treatments. Bacterial vaginosis is effectively treated with a single dose of metronidazole 1 g or 500 mg bid over seven days. Similar regimens are also effective against trichomoniasis. Vulvovaginal candidiasis can be treated with topical imidazole preparations or oral antifungal medications.

Chancroid↗

Macrolide antibiotics.

The macrolides remain excellent antibiotics for many infections particularly those involving intracellular and/or respiratory pathogens. Erythromycin is still an effective drug for many acute orofacial infections. The newer macrolides, azithromycin and clarithromycin, should also prove efficacious although there is very little current data on their use in orofacial infections. They have the advantages over erythromycin of less GI toxicity, higher tissue concentrations, greater gram-negative spectrum, and once or twice daily dosing for better patient compliance. Macrolide concentration in inflammatory cells and transport to the site of infection is a distinct advantage over other antibiotics. Both erythromycin and clarithromycin are associated with significant drug interactions but azithromycin is devoid of such potential toxicity. Azithromycin is less effective against gram-negative cocci than erythromycin and clarithromycin and attains very high tissue concentrations for a very long time, but whether either of these characteristics is clinically significant for orofacial infections is presently unknown.

Acute Disease↗

An economic evaluation of screening for Chlamydia trachomatis in adolescent males.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the cost-effectiveness of identifying asymptomatic carriers of Chlamydia trachomatis among adolescent males. DESIGN: Cost-effectiveness analysis based on cohort analytic studies previously reported and average salaries and costs of medical care in Sweden. SETTING: Adolescent males attending a primary care center for routine health checks. PARTICIPANTS: Estimates of costs and benefits are based on a cohort of 1000 adolescent males and their female contacts. INTERVENTION: Screening with enzyme immunoassay (EIA), either on leukocyte esterase (LE)--positive urine samples (LE-EIA screening) or on all urine samples (EIA screening), was compared with no screening (no treatment or contact tracing). The effects of confirming positive EIA results with a blocking assay and alternative antibiotic regimens on the outcome of the screening strategies were also evaluated. RESULTS: Compared with no screening, the LE-EIA and EIA screening strategies reduced the overall costs when the prevalence of chlamydial infection in males exceeded 2% and 10%, respectively. Enzyme immunoassay screening achieved an overall cure rate that was 12.2% to 12.6% (95% confidence interval) better, but reduced the incremental savings by at least $2144 per cured male, in comparison with LE-EIA screening. Confirmation of positive EIA results reduced the overall cost of the LE-EIA screening strategy when the prevalence of C trachomatis among males was less than 8%. Compared with a 7-day course of doxycycline, a single oral dose of azithromycin administered under supervision in the clinic improved the cure rates of both EIA and LE-EIA screening strategies by 15.1% to 16.3% and 11.2% to 12.0%, respectively, while reducing the corresponding overall costs by 5% and 9%, respectively, regardless of the prevalence of chlamydial infection in males. CONCLUSION: The use of LE-EIA screening combined with treatment of positive cases with azithromycin was the most cost-effective intervention strategy focusing on asymptomatic male carriers of C trachomatis. Positive EIA results should be confirmed when screening low-risk populations.

Adolescent↗

Treatment of acute otitis media with a shortened course of antibiotics: a meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To conduct a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials of antibiotic treatment of acute otitis media in children to determine whether outcomes were comparable in children treated with antibiotics for less than 7 days or at least 7 days or more. DATA SOURCES: MEDLINE (1966-1997), EMBASE (1974-1997), Current Contents, and Science Citation Index searches were conducted to identify randomized controlled trials of the treatment of acute otitis media in children with antibiotics of different durations. STUDY SELECTION: Studies were included if they met the following criteria: subjects aged 4 weeks to 18 years, clinical diagnosis of acute otitis media, no antimicrobial therapy at time of diagnosis, and randomization to less than 7 days of antibiotic treatment vs 7 days or more of antibiotic treatment. DATA EXTRACTION: Trial methodological quality was assessed independently by 7 reviewers; outcomes were extracted as the number of treatment failures, relapses, or reinfections. DATA SYNTHESIS: Included trials were grouped by antibiotic used in the short course: (1) 15 short-acting oral antibiotic trials (penicillin V potassium, amoxicillin [-clavulanate], cefaclor, cefixime, cefuroxime, cefpodoxime proxetil, cefprozil), (2) 4 intramuscularceftriaxone sodium trials, and (3) 11 oral azithromycin trials. The summary odds ratio for treatment outcomes at 8 to 19 days in children treated with short-acting antibiotics for 5 days vs 8 to 10 days was 1.52 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.17-1.98) but by 20 to 30 days outcomes between treatment groups were comparable (odds ratio, 1.22; 95% CI, 0.98 to 1.54). The risk difference (2.3%; 95% CI,-0.2% to 4.9%) at 20 to 30 days suggests that 44 children would need to be treated with the long course of short-acting antibiotics to avoid 1 treatment failure. This similarity in later outcomes was observed for up to 3 months following therapy (odds ratio, 1.16; 95% CI, 0.90-1.50). Comparable outcomes were shown between treatment with ceftriaxone or azithromycin, and at least 7 days of other antibiotics. CONCLUSION: This meta-analysis suggests that 5 days of short-acting antibiotic use is effective treatment for uncomplicated acute otitis media in children.

Acute Disease↗

Possible effectiveness of clarithromycin and rifabutin for cryptosporidiosis chemoprophylaxis in HIV disease. HIV Outpatient Study (HOPS) Investigators.

CONTEXT: Cryptosporidium parvum infection, a common cause of diarrhea in persons infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), is difficult to treat or prevent. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate relative rates of cryptosporidiosis in HIV-infected patients who were either receiving or not receiving chemoprophylaxis or treatment for Mycobacterium avium complex. DESIGN: Analysis of prospectively collected data from HIV-infected patients' visits to their physicians since 1992. SETTING: Ten (8 private, 2 publicly funded) HIV clinics in 9 US cities. PATIENTS: A total of 1019 HIV-infected patients with CD4+ cell counts less than 0.075 x 10(9)/L. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Incidence of clinical cryptosporidiosis during treatment with clarithromycin, rifabutin, and azithromycin. RESULTS: Five of the 312 patients reportedly taking clarithromycin developed cryptosporidiosis vs 30 of the 707 patients not taking clarithromycin (relative hazard [RH], 0.25 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.10-0.67]; P=.004). Two of the 214 patients taking rifabutin developed cryptosporidiosis vs 33 of the 805 not taking rifabutin (RH, 0.15 [95% CI, 0.04-0.62]; P=.01). Prophylactic efficacy of either drug was 75% or greater. No protective effect was seen in the 54 patients reportedly taking azithromycin (RH, 1.48 [95% CI, 0.44-5.04]; P=.46). CONCLUSIONS: Clarithromycin and rifabutin were highly protective against development of cryptosporidiosis in immune-suppressed HIV-infected persons in this analysis; further study is warranted.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections↗

Effect of a single mass antibiotic distribution on the prevalence of infectious trachoma.

CONTEXT: The World Health Organization recommends mass antibiotic distributions in its strategy to eliminate blinding trachoma as a public health concern. Some hypothesize that a single distribution is sufficient to control the ocular strains of chlamydia that cause trachoma. Others believe infection will inevitably return and periodic treatments or other measures are essential. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether ocular chlamydial infection returns to the community up to 24 months after a single mass antibiotic distribution in a hyperendemic region of Ethiopia. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Longitudinal cohort study conducted March 2003 to March 2005 in the Gurage Zone of Ethiopia. Eight randomly selected villages were assessed for ocular chlamydial infection. Fifteen untreated villages were randomly chosen at 12 months to allow assessment of a secular trend. INTERVENTION: A single dose of oral azithromycin was offered to all residents of the 8 selected villages who were aged 1 year or older. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Prevalence of ocular chlamydial infection in all children aged 1 to 5 years from each intervention village prior to treatment and 2, 6, 12, 18, and 24 months after mass antibiotic treatment, and also in untreated villages enrolled at 12 months. RESULTS: Five hundred fifteen children were examined for ocular chlamydial infection at baseline. For the follow-up examinations, the mean participation rate was 83%. The mean prevalence of infection in children aged 1 to 5 years decreased from 43.5% (95% confidence interval [CI], 35.0%-52.0%) to 5.1% (95% CI, 1.1%-9.2%) after treatment. On average, infection returned gradually over 24 months to 11.3% (95% CI, 4.5%-18.1%; P = .001). In 7 of 8 villages, infection was higher at 24 months than at 2 months. In the remaining village, no infection could be identified at any point after treatment. Villages enrolled at 12 months had significantly fewer infections than those enrolled 12 months earlier, suggesting a secular trend (P<.001). CONCLUSIONS: Ocular chlamydial infection was not eliminated in children aged 1 to 5 years after a single mass azithromycin distribution; it slowly returned over 24 months, although not to baseline levels. Repeated treatments or other effective measures will be necessary for elimination.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗

Application of NIR spectroscopy in polymorphic analysis: study of pseudo-polymorphs stability.

The accelerated transformation of three azithromycin pseudo-polymorphs (viz. the anhydrous, monohydrate (MH), and dihydrate (DH) forms) at a high temperature and moisture level was examined by near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). The most marked spectral differences between the pseudo-polymorphs occurred in the 1800-2200 nm region, which corresponds to the first overtone for water. The qualitative analysis of the NIR spectra for the pseudo-polymorphs following storage in a stove at 60 degrees C at 100% relative humidity for 60 days suggests that the crystalline forms (viz. the MH and DH) are stable, whereas the amorphous (anhydrous) form evolves to the DH. This was confirmed by determining the amounts of water and DH present in anhydrous azithromycin and the MH by use of partial least-squares regression (PLSR). The method used to quantify the DH in MH samples was developed and validated in accordance with the standards of the International Conference of Harmonization (ICH) and the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) with a view to its subsequent application by the pharmaceutical industry. The limits of detection (LD) and quantitation (LQ) for the DH in MH provided by the NIRS method were consistent with those obtained by X-ray diffraction (XRD) methodology. This testifies to the accuracy of the proposed method.

Azithromycin↗

Chlamydia pneumoniae activates nuclear factor kappaB and activator protein 1 in human vascular smooth muscle and induces cellular proliferation.

BACKGROUND: Observational data strongly suggest an association between Chlamydia pneumoniae and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. However, few studies have mechanistically linked C. pneumoniae to vascular remodeling. The purpose of the present study was to examine the mechanistic relationship between C. pneumoniae and human vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) physiology. We sought to determine the influence of human VSMC infection by C. pneumoniae on (1) VSMC proliferation and (2) activation of the proinflammatory and proliferative transcription factors nuclear factor kappaB (NF-kappaB) and activator protein 1 (AP-1). MATERIALS AND METHODS: C. pneumoniae was grown and isolated from Hep 2 cells. Human aortic VSMCs were inoculated with C. pneumoniae in the presence and absence of the azalide antibiotic azithromycin. Cell proliferation was assayed by direct cell counting 48 h following infection. Two hours following infection, nuclear extracts were isolated, and activation of both NF-kappaB and AP-1 was assessed by electrophoretic mobility shift assay. RESULTS: Compared with control, C. pneumoniae infection stimulated VSMC proliferation (P < 0.05) and induced both NF-kappaB and AP-1 DNA binding activity. These effects were eliminated by concurrent treatment with azithromycin. CONCLUSIONS: VSMC infection with C. pneumoniae activates proliferative intracellular signals and stimulates cell growth. These data implicate C. pneumoniae as a pathogenic mediator and a potential therapeutic target in the prevention of atherosclerotic disease.

Arteriosclerosis↗

In vitro susceptibility of thirty Borrelia strains from various sources against eight antimicrobial chemotherapeutics.

Minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC) and minimal bactericidal concentrations (MBC) were evaluated of the antimicrobial chemotherapeutics amoxicillin, azithromycin, cefotaxime, ceftriaxone, doxycycline, penicillin G sodium, roxithromycin, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole for 30 Borrelia strains from various sources (skin, cerebrospinal fluid, ticks). Of these strains 29 were Lyme disease agents of the species Borrelia afzelii (n = 12), Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto (n = 4), Borrelia garinii (n = 13), and one was the relapsing fever strain Borrelia turicatae (n = 1). Tests were performed in microtiter plates by broth dilution. MIC was determined after 72 hours of incubation by comparing growth control with the antibiotic dilutions by means of dark field microscopy. Strains tested were susceptible against amoxicillin, azithromycin, cefotaxime, ceftriaxone, doxycycline, and penicillin G sodium, partly susceptible to roxithromycin, and resistant to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. No statistically significant differences in MIC and MBC were seen among the different antibiotics with the various Borrelia species.

Amoxicillin↗

Comparative antimicrobial activity of the new macrolides against Borrelia burgdorferi.

The in vitro and in vivo activity of the new macrolides azithromycin, clarithromycin and roxythromycin was compared with that of erythromycin against Borrelia burgdorferi. In in vitro tests using ten clinical isolates all macrolides were highly active against Borrelia burgdorferi (MIC90 0.015-0.06 micrograms/ml). Azithromycin was more potent than the other macrolides in experimental animal infection, eradicating the organism in all animals tested at a dosage of 8 mg/kg.

4-Quinolones↗

Susceptibility of mixed infection of Ureaplasma Urealyticum and Mycoplasma Hominis to seven antimicrobial agents and comparison with that of Ureaplasma Urealyticum infection.

In order to investigate the susceptibility of mixed infection of Ureaplasma Urealyticum (UU) and Mycoplasma Hominis (MH) to 7 kinds of antimicrobial agents and comparison with that of UU infection in NGU patients, the in vitro susceptibility was determined by using microdilution method. The positive results were analyzed. The results showed that the sequence of susceptibility to 7 kinds of antimicrobial agents for both UU infection group and UU-MH mixed infection group was almost the same from the highest susceptibility to the lowest accordingly: Josamycin, Doxycycline, Minocycline, Sparfloxacin, Roxithromycin, Ofloxacin and Azithromycin. The total drug resistance rate for UU-MH mixed infection group (97.67%) was significantly higher than that for UU infection group (44.67%, P < 0.01). The highest drug resistance rate in UU group and UU-MH mixed infection group was 31.33% (Ofloxacin) and 90.48% (Azithromycin) respectively. UU-MH mixed infection showed an increased drug resistance and changes of drug resistance spectrum.

Adult↗

Antimicrobial resistance of Neisseria gonorrhoeae isolates from the Stuttgart and Heidelberg areas of southern Germany.

The aim of the present study was to determine prospectively the antimicrobial susceptibility of Neisseria gonorrhoeae strains collected in southern Germany (Heidelberg and Stuttgart areas). Sixty-five N. gonorrhoeae strains, isolated between July 2004 and June 2005 from patients with uncomplicated gonorrhoea, were tested. Minimum inhibitory concentrations of penicillin, tetracycline, ciprofloxacin, azithromycin, spectinomycin, ceftriaxone, and cefixime were determined by the E test. All isolates were fully susceptible to ceftriaxone, cefixime, and spectinomycin. However, 21.5% (14/65), 29.2% (19/65), and 47.7% (31/65) of isolates were resistant to penicillin (>2.0 mg/l), tetracycline (>2.0 mg/l), and ciprofloxacin (>1.0 mg/l), respectively. Critical MICs of azithromycin (>1.0 mg/l, as defined by the Neisseria Reference Laboratory at the Centers for Disease Control) were found for five (7.7%) N. gonorrhoeae isolates. These data indicate a high prevalence of N. gonorrhoeae strains resistant to the antimicrobial agents currently used to treat gonococcal infections in the Heidelberg and Stuttgart areas. Even though the findings may not be representative of the general population in Germany, they nevertheless illustrate the need to establish an antimicrobial resistance surveillance system in order to control gonorrhoea effectively.

Adolescent↗