title: New real-time PCR-based method for in vitro susceptibility testing of Anaplasma phagocytophilum against antimicrobial agents.
abstract: Up to now, only a few isolates of Anaplasma phagocytophilum have been tested for their susceptibility against a small number of antimicrobial agents. In addition, as with other fastidious or intracellular bacteria, the test methods are laborious and neither minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) definitions, nor the test conditions and the inocula are standardised to date. A new 16S-rDNA-based real-time PCR assay has been developed and used under standardised conditions to analyse the activity of seven antimicrobial agents against two A. phagocytophilum isolates. After 72 h incubation, MICs were determined by software-assisted calculation of bacterial growth in samples and controls from semi-quantitative PCR results. In our study, the rank order of potency on a mg/l basis for the antimicrobial agents with enhanced in vitro activity against A. phagocytophilum was moxifloxacin (MIC: < or = 0.03 mg/l) > doxycycline (MIC: < or = 0.125 mg/l) > ciprofloxacin (MIC: 0.125 mg/l). Gentamicin, ampicillin, azithromycin and cethromycin showed no activity against the isolates tested in this investigation. Our new 16S-rDNA-PCR-based microdilution test system was shown to be sensitive, reproducible and reliable. The assay is capable of testing larger numbers of isolates and antimicrobial agents under standardised and very precise test conditions and may therefore offer a competent technical solution of the difficulties known to be associated with in vitro testing of other bacterial pathogens that grow intracellularly, such as chlamydia or rickettsia.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Microbiology, University Hospital of Frankfurt, D-60596 Frankfurt/Main, Germany. k.hunfeld@em.uni-frankfurt.de
authors.forename: Klaus-Peter
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Hunfeld
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bittner
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rödel
authors.forename: Volker
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Brade
authors.forename: Jindrich
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cinatl
mesh_terms: D000667:Ampicillin / Q000494:pharmacology; D041081:Anaplasma phagocytophilum / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001372:Aza Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology; D017963:Azithromycin / Q000494:pharmacology; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000032:analysis; D004318:Doxycycline / Q000494:pharmacology; D024841:Fluoroquinolones; D020459:Genes, rRNA; D005839:Gentamicins / Q000494:pharmacology; D048628:Ketolides / Q000494:pharmacology; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D000077266:Moxifloxacin; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D011804:Quinolines / Q000494:pharmacology; D012329:RNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D001372:Aza Compounds; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D024841:Fluoroquinolones; D005839:Gentamicins; D048628:Ketolides; D011804:Quinolines; D012329:RNA, Bacterial; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; D000667:Ampicillin; D017963:Azithromycin; C405499:cethromycin; D004318:Doxycycline; D000077266:Moxifloxacin