title: Activity of seven antimicrobial agents, alone and in combination, against AIDS-associated isolates of Mycobacterium avium complex.
abstract: The activity of seven antimicrobial agents (and five two-drug combinations and five three-drug combinations) was investigated against 37 clinical isolates of Mycobacterium avium recovered from blood cultures of AIDS patients. The susceptibility tests were performed in Middlebrook 7H12 broth using a radiometric method. MICs of amikacin, ciprofloxacin, clarithromycin, clofazimine, ethambutol, rifabutin and sparfloxacin were determined. Five antimicrobial agents were tested in combination with clarithromycin and also with clarithromycin plus amikacin to look for possible synergic activity. Synergic activity in combination with clarithromycin and with clarithromycin plus amikacin, was detected for rifabutin (54% and 51% of isolates, respectively), clofazimine (38% and 35%), ethambutol (16% and 32%), ciprofloxacin (8% and 14%) and sparfloxacin (3% and 8%). No antagonism was observed. We conclude that clarithromycin is an essential component in the chemotherapy of M. avium complex disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Microbiology, Umberto I-Torrette Hospital, Ancona, Italy.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Piersimoni
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tortoli
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Mascellino
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Passerini Tosi
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sbaraglia
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mandler
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bistoni
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bornigia
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: De Sio
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Goglio
mesh_terms: D017088:AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D015269:Mycobacterium avium Complex / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents