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Updated: Jun 15, 2026
05:02
Listeria monocytogenes Infection of the Brain
Published on: October 2, 2018
Linezolid penetration into cerebrospinal fluid and brain tissue
A Tsona1, S Metallidis, N Foroglou
11st Internal Medicine Department, Infectiouse Diseases Division, AHEPA Universoty Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece.
Journal of Chemotherapy (Florence, Italy)
|March 16, 2010
Summary
Linezolid effectively penetrates cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and brain tissue after a single intravenous dose. These concentrations exceed minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs), supporting linezolid for treating Gram-positive central nervous system (CNS) infections.
Area of Science:
- Pharmacokinetics
- Infectious Diseases
- Neurosurgery
Background:
- Central nervous system (CNS) infections caused by multidrug-resistant Gram-positive bacteria pose significant therapeutic challenges.
- Effective antimicrobial penetration into the CSF and brain tissue is crucial for successful treatment outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the penetration of linezolid into cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and brain tissue.
- To determine if linezolid concentrations achieved are sufficient to overcome common pathogens.
Main Methods:
- A single intravenous dose of 600 mg linezolid was administered to 18 patients undergoing neurosurgery.
- Serum, CSF, and brain tissue concentrations of linezolid were measured 2 hours post-dose using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC).
- CSF/serum and brain/serum ratios were calculated.
Main Results:
- Mean linezolid concentrations in CSF and brain tissue were determined.
- CSF/serum ratio was 69.57% and brain/serum ratio was 44.66%.
- Achieved linezolid concentrations were above the MIC90 for key staphylococci and streptococci species.
Conclusions:
- Linezolid demonstrates good penetration into the human CSF and brain tissue.
- The achieved concentrations support the use of linezolid in managing multidrug-resistant Gram-positive CNS infections.
- Further clinical studies may be warranted to confirm efficacy.
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