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Microscopy-based Assays for High-throughput Screening of Host Factors Involved in Brucella Infection of Hela Cells
Published on: August 5, 2016
Modern chemotherapy for brucellosis in humans
1Research Service (151), Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55417.
Reviews of Infectious Diseases
|November 1, 1990
Summary
Determining the best chemotherapy for brucellosis remains challenging. While doxycycline and rifampin show high effectiveness with low relapse rates, other treatments vary in efficacy for this intracellular parasitic infection.
Area of Science:
- Infectious Diseases
- Pharmacology
- Microbiology
Background:
- Brucellosis treatment efficacy is debated, with no universally agreed-upon optimal chemotherapy.
- Brucella species, as facultative intracellular parasites, present challenges for antibiotic penetration into host cells.
- Standard therapy (tetracycline and streptomycin) is effective but has a 10% relapse rate.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the effectiveness of various chemotherapy regimens for human brucellosis.
- To identify the most effective and least toxic treatment options.
- To evaluate relapse rates and treatment outcomes.
Main Methods:
- In vitro antibiotic activity assessment against Brucella species.
- In vivo studies in experimental animals and tissue cultures to evaluate drug penetration.
- Clinical comparison of chemotherapy regimens in acute bacteremic brucellosis, assessing symptom control, bacteremia, complications, and relapse rates.
Main Results:
- Antibiotics active in vitro include tetracyclines, aminoglycosides, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, and rifampin.
- Doxycycline and rifampin combination is convenient and highly effective, with an 8.4% relapse rate.
- Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole showed lower efficacy, with 5.7% non-response and 12% relapse rates.
Conclusions:
- The combination of doxycycline and rifampin is a highly effective and convenient treatment for brucellosis.
- Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole is less effective than the doxycycline-rifampin combination.
- Localized brucellosis may necessitate surgical intervention alongside prolonged chemotherapy.
