Ws. Shin et al., IN-VITRO EFFECTS OF CEFODIZIME ON LEUKOCYTE FUNCTIONS AND COLONY FORMATION FROM GRANULOCYTE-MONOCYTE PROGENITORS, Journal of antimicrobial chemotherapy, 37(1), 1996, pp. 93-103
Infections in immunocompromised patients are often difficult to treat,
even with currently available antimicrobial agents. An understanding
of the effects of antibiotic therapy on the host's immune response is
therefore important when deciding on the clinical management of such p
atients. Antimicrobial agents which lack immunodepressive effects and/
or potentiate the immune response are the goal of current research int
o the treatment of infections in immunocompromised patients. The effec
ts of cefodizime (1-250 mu g/mL) in vitro on some functional activitie
s of leucocytes and on colony formation by granulocyte monocyte progen
itors were studied to investigate the effects of the antibiotic on the
host's immune response. A marked enhancement in the lymphocyte transf
ormation reaction was observed in cells exposed to cefodizime. This ef
fect was dose-dependent. Cefodizime had no significant effect on antib
ody-dependent cell cytotoxicity or on natural killer cell-mediated cyt
otoxicity. The chemotactic activity of neutrophils was not influenced
by the presence of cefodizime (P > 0.05). The phagocytic activity of n
eutrophils was significantly increased by cefodizime (P > 0.01). Cefod
izime significantly stimulated, in a dose-dependent manner, colony for
mation by granulocyte-monocyte progenitors (P < 0.01). Results suggest
that cefodizime has certain stimulatory effects on immunocompetent ce
lls such as enhancing the transformation reaction of lymphocytes, neut
rophil phagocytosis and colony formation by granulocyte-monocyte proge
nitors. Further studies are required to clarify the mechanisms respons
ible for these effects.