Antimicrobials as potential adjunctive agents in the treatment of biofilm infection with Staphylococcus epidermidis.
BACKGROUND
This study was performed to evaluate the interaction of erythromycin or rifampin with vancomycin against Staphylococcus epidermidis biofilms.


METHODS
Biofilm-forming S. epidermidis strains (ATCC 35983, 35984) and polyurethane (PU) sheets were incubated for the formation of bacterial biofilms. Biofilms on PU sheets were treated with various antibiotic regimens. The number of viable bacteria on the sheets was counted.


RESULTS
While erythromycin or vancomycin alone did not significantly reduce the biofilm bacterial concentration, the combination of vancomycin and erythromycin resulted in a clear reduction in bacterial concentration compared with the single agents. Rifampin was the most active single agent against biofilm-forming S. epidermidis, while the combination of rifampin and vancomycin showed further reduction in bacterial concentration.


CONCLUSIONS
These data suggest that the combination of erythromycin or rifampin and vancomycin is more effective than vancomycin alone in the treatment of biofilm infections caused by biofilm-forming S. epidermidis.
Peck
Kyong Ran
KR
Division of Infectious Diseases, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. krpeck@smc.samsung.kr
Kim
Shin Woo
SW
Jung
Sook-In
SI
Kim
Yeon-Sook
YS
Oh
Won Sup
WS
Lee
Ji Young
JY
Jin
Joung Hwa
JH
Kim
Sungmin
S
Song
Jae-Hoon
JH
Kobayashi
Hiroyuki
H
D018441:Biofilms / Q000187:drug effects*; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004917:Erythromycin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D011140:Polyurethanes; D016459:Prosthesis-Related Infections / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012293:Rifampin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000188:drug therapy*; D013212:Staphylococcus epidermidis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D014640:Vancomycin / Q000627:therapeutic use
D011140:Polyurethanes; D004917:Erythromycin; D014640:Vancomycin; D012293:Rifampin