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Combination drug testing of Mycobacterium chelonae
A Y Matoba1, B L Lee, N M Robinson
1Houston Veterans Affair Medical Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.
Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science
|August 1, 1993
Summary
Erythromycin combined with amikacin shows promise for treating Mycobacterium chelonae keratitis. This combination demonstrated synergistic effects in vitro, offering a potential alternative to current therapies.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Microbiology
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Mycobacterium chelonae keratitis presents a therapeutic challenge due to limited effective antimicrobial options.
- Single-agent therapies often prove clinically insufficient for treating this condition.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the in vitro antimicrobial efficacy of amikacin in combination with erythromycin, imipenem, ciprofloxacin, and vancomycin against Mycobacterium chelonae.
- To identify more effective medical treatment regimens for Mycobacterium chelonae keratitis.
Main Methods:
- The checkerboard method was employed to assess drug combinations.
- Seven corneal isolates of Mycobacterium chelonae were used for testing.
Main Results:
- Amikacin combined with erythromycin demonstrated synergistic or additive effects.
- Amikacin and vancomycin showed synergistic or additive effects, though vancomycin exhibited high minimum inhibitory concentrations.
- Combinations of amikacin with imipenem or ciprofloxacin yielded results ranging from antagonism to additive effects.
Conclusions:
- Erythromycin, in combination with amikacin, exhibited the most significant in vitro activity against Mycobacterium chelonae.
- Further evaluation of the checkerboard method for in vitro combination drug testing of Mycobacterium chelonae is warranted for clinical relevance in microbial keratitis.