title: In vitro efficacy of imipenem in combination with six antimicrobial agents against Mycobacterium abscessus.
abstract: Antimicrobial therapy of Mycobacterium abscessus infection is difficult because there are relatively few effective treatment regimens and single-agent therapy frequently fails clinically. In light of the lack of data on the susceptibility profile of M. abscessus strains recovered from infections in Japan, the in vitro activity of imipenem in combination with clarithromycin, levofloxacin, moxifloxacin, minocycline, amikacin or tobramycin was investigated by the checkerboard method and compared with the combination amikacin and cefoxitin. The combination of imipenem with moxifloxacin, levofloxacin or clarithromycin had a higher synergistic and/or additive effect than amikacin and cefoxitin. A decrease in the MIC(90) value (minimum inhibitory concentration for 90% of the organisms) was observed in the presence of imipenem for clarithromycin, minocycline, levofloxacin and moxifloxacin. The data suggest that a combination regimen including imipenem may be a good choice in empirical treatment of M. abscessus infection.
authors.affiliation: Miroku Medical Laboratory Inc., 659-2 Innai, Saku-shi, Nagano 384-2201, Japan. miyasaka-tomo14@mail.tains.tohoku.ac.jp
authors.forename: Tomomitsu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Miyasaka
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kunishima
authors.forename: Mayumi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Komatsu
authors.forename: Kiyoko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tamai
authors.forename: Kotaro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mitsutake
authors.forename: Keiji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kanemitsu
authors.forename: Yoshiharu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ohisa
authors.forename: Hideji
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yanagisawa
authors.forename: Mitsuo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kaku
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004357:Drug Synergism; D006801:Humans; D015378:Imipenem / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D009161:Mycobacterium / Q000187:drug effects*; D011786:Quality Control; D013183:Sputum / Q000382:microbiology; D014946:Wound Infection / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D015378:Imipenem