Abstract
The antimicrobial effect of grepafloxacin (GPFX), a new quinolone derivative, on 40 strains of Neisseria gonorrhoeae (including penicillinase-producing N. gonorrhoeae: PPNG) and 8 strains of Chlamydia trachomatis as well as its clinical utility in urinary infections were assessed with the following results:
1. Antimicrobial effects As for the antimicrobial effects of GPFX on 40 stock strains of N. gonorrhoeae, MICs ranged from 0.012-1.56μg/ml and the MIC of GPFX was 0.2μg/ml; its value was equal to that of ciprofloxacin (CPFX) and levofloxacin (LVFX) but less than that of tosufloxacin (TFLX) and sparfloxacin (SPFX). The MIC50 was, however, as low as 0.025μg/ml.
Against 8 strains of C. trachomatis, the antimicrobial effects of GPFX were superior to those of other drugs tested, with an MIC range of 0.08-0.31μg/ml and MIC50 and MIC90 of 0.016 and 0.03 μg/ml, respectively, almost equal to those of SPFX.
2. Clinical utility
In 5 of 10 cases of acute uncomplicated cystitis satisfying the UTI evaluation criteria for drug efficacy, the result was assessed as excellent in 3 cases and effective in 2 cases, an efficacy rate of 100%(all 5 cases). There were 3 excellent, 3 effective, and 3 ineffective cases among 9 cases of complex urinary infections, an efficacy rate of 66.7%(6 of 9 cases). The bacteriological examination revealed that 15 of 17 strains from 6 species disappeared, and the rate of elimination was 88.2%.
As for side effects, only 1 patient complained of upper abdominal discomfort, but this was not a problem clinically.
The results mentioned above indicate that GPFX is useful for the treatment of urinary infections.
