Staphylococcus Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Staphylococcus, including details on mrsa, hospitals, infection, antibiotic resistance, superbugs.

Role of folate antagonists in the treatment of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection.

Proctor RA

Department of Medical Microbiology/Immunology and Medicine, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA. rap@facstaff.wisc.edu

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection has reached epidemic proportions, and therapeutic options are limited because these strains are often multidrug resistant. However, the new strains of community-acquired MRSA show decreased resistance to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. Clinical and experimental reports show a mixture of successes and failures with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole treatment. A reason for failure might be the amount of thymidine released from damaged host tissues and bacteria, a concept strengthened by the fact that S. aureus thermonuclease releases thymidine from DNA. Thus, success or failure with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole may well depend on the amount of tissue damage and organism burden, rather than acquisition of a resistance gene. Clinical trials and experimental animal studies show high failure rates, perhaps because of released thymidine. The use of trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole for community-acquired MRSA infection should not be endorsed without further research.

Published 21 January 2008 in Clin Infect Dis, 46(4): 584-93.
Full-text of this article is available online (may require subscription).

© 2004-2008 Staphylococcus Research Today. All Rights Reserved.