[Effect of an interferon preparation on increasing bacterial sensitivity to antibiotics]

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Immunology
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Antibiotic resistance is a growing global health threat.
• Interferons are known for their immunomodulatory and antiviral properties.
• The impact of interferons on bacterial susceptibility to antibiotics requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effect of human leukocytic alpha-interferon-II (HuIFN-αII) on bacterial sensitivity to common antibiotics.
• To determine if HuIFN-αII can re-sensitize antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains, particularly staphylococci.

Main Methods:

• Bacterial strains, including antibiotic-resistant staphylococci, were exposed to HuIFN-αII.
• Minimum Inhibitory Concentrations (MICs) for various antibiotics (benzylpenicillin, erythromycin, etc.) were measured.
• Statistical analysis was performed to assess the significance of observed changes in sensitivity.

Main Results:

• HuIFN-αII significantly increased bacterial sensitivity to benzylpenicillin, ristomycin, novobiocin, streptomycin, kanamycin, monomycin, and erythromycin.
• A notable enhancement in antibacterial effect was observed for penicillin and erythromycin against initially resistant staphylococci.
• For resistant staphylococci, MICs for penicillin and erythromycin decreased by an average of 17.8 and 208 times, respectively (p < 0.001).
• No significant effect of HuIFN-αII was observed on bacterial sensitivity to chloramphenicol.

Conclusions:

• Human leukocytic alpha-interferon-II demonstrates potential as an adjunct therapy to combat antibiotic resistance.
• HuIFN-αII can restore the efficacy of certain antibiotics, like penicillin and erythromycin, against resistant bacterial strains.
• Further research is warranted to explore the clinical applications of HuIFN-αII in infectious disease treatment.