Examining the use of ceftaroline in the treatment of Streptococcus pneumoniae meningitis with reference to human cathelicidin LL-37.
Sakoulas. George G; Nonejuie. Poochit P; Kullar. Ravina R; Pogliano. Joseph J; Rybak. Michael J MJ; Nizet. Victor V
Key Findings
- Ceftaroline dosed at 600 mg every 8 hours successfully treated meningitis caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae and Staphylococcus aureus.
- A lower dosing frequency (600 mg every 12 hours) was linked to treatment failure in one S. pneumoniae case.
- Ceftaroline altered the bacterial surface charge, increasing susceptibility of S. pneumoniae to the human peptide LL‑37.
Practical Outcomes
- For clinicians, the data reinforce that the standard q8h dosing of ceftaroline is important for meningitis treatment. The finding that ceftaroline boosts LL‑37 activity hints at a possible synergy between antibiotics and innate immune peptides, but it doesn’t translate into a direct DIY protocol for healthy individuals.
Summary
The study looked at five meningitis patients treated with the antibiotic ceftaroline. Giving the drug every 8 hours worked, while giving it every 12 hours failed in one case. Ceftaroline also made the bacteria’s surface more negatively charged, which helped the body’s natural antimicrobial peptide LL‑37 kill the bugs more easily.
Abstract
Five cases of bacterial meningitis treated with ceftaroline (4 Streptococcus pneumoniae and 1 Staphylococcus aureus) are summarized here. The pharmacodynamics of human cathelicidin LL-37 and ceftaroline were evaluated against S. pneumoniae. Patients who received ceftaroline 600 mg every 8 h (q8h) (1 S. aureus and 3 S. pneumoniae) were successfully treated; treatment failed in 1 patient with S. pneumoniae who received 600 mg q12h. Ceftaroline increased the negative surface charge and sensitized S. pneumoniae to killing by LL-37, a peptide implicated in blood-brain barrier defense.
Study Information
pubmed
2015
2015-01-20T00:00:00.000Z
10.1128/aac.04965-14