title: Antimicrobial activity of josamycin against erythromycin-resistant staphylococci as compared to roxythromycin and clarithromycin.
abstract: In an in vitro study 246 clinical isolates of erythromycin-resistant staphylococci from six hospitals in Austria were investigated for susceptibility to josamycin and other, newer macrolide antibiotics, e.g. roxithromycin and clarithromycin. 71 strains of Staphylococcus aureus showed an MIC > or = 4 mg/l and 100 strains of S. aureus showed an MIC > or = 256 mg/l. In addition, 25 strains of coagulase-negative staphylococci resistant to erythromycin at an MIC of > or = 4 mg/l were investigated. At an MIC of 2 mg/l 57% of the erythromycin-resistant strains of S. aureus were inhibited by josamycin, 25% by clarithromycin and 11.6% by roxithromycin. At an MIC of 2 mg/l 13.3% of erythromycin-resistant coagulase-negative staphylococci were inhibited by josamycin, 10.7% by clarithromycin and 9.3% by roxithromycin. This study suggests that josamycin is still active in vitro against more than 50% of erythromycin-resistant strains of S. aureus. This drug is also more active than roxithromycin and clarithromycin against erythromycin-resistant S. aureus.
authors.affiliation: Universitätsklinik für Kinder und Jugendliche, Erlangen, Germany.
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Guggenbichler
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Georgopoulos
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Scharrer
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kobilansky
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mühlbacher
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Georgopoulos
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Dierich
mesh_terms: D017291:Clarithromycin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology; D004341:Drug Evaluation; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial; D004917:Erythromycin; D006801:Humans; D015570:Josamycin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D015575:Roxithromycin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D015575:Roxithromycin; D004917:Erythromycin; D017291:Clarithromycin; D015570:Josamycin