title: Itraconazole vs amphotericin B: in vitro comparative evaluation of the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) against clinically isolated yeasts.
abstract: Itraconazole is a triazole compound which, following several clinical trials, has begun to be used for therapy of mycotic infections. This new drug, with a broad-spectrum antifungal activity, can be orally administered. The Authors studied the in vitro susceptibility to amphotericin B and itraconazole of the following clinical isolates of pathogenic yeasts: 100 Candida albicans, 20 C. tropicalis, 20 C. parapsilosis, 8 C. guilliermondii, 6 C. pseudotropicalis, 24 Torulopsis glabrata and 16 Cryptococcus neoformans. Serial two-fold dilution, from 100 micrograms/ml to 0.04 micrograms/ml, of each drug were prepared in Yeast Nitrogen Base + Glucose 5%, after dissolving the itraconazole in dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) and amphotericin B in 5% glucose solution. Amphotericin B (MIC90: 3.12 micrograms/ml) was found to have an average in vitro MIC six-fold lower than itraconazole (MIC90: 25 micrograms/ml). Thus, even though itraconazole is active, amphotericin B remains one of the most effective of the antifungal drugs.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Clinica delle Malattie Infecttive, Università degli Studi di Pavia, IRCCS Policlinico S. Matteo, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lombardi
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gramegna
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cavanna
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Poma
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Marangoni
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Michelone
mesh_terms: D000666:Amphotericin B / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002175:Candida / Q000187:drug effects*; D003454:Cryptococcus / Q000187:drug effects*; D003455:Cryptococcus neoformans / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D017964:Itraconazole; D007654:Ketoconazole / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents; D017964:Itraconazole; D000666:Amphotericin B; D007654:Ketoconazole