THE PROHOST EFFECT OF ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS AS A PREDICTOR OF CLINICALOUTCOME

Apart from their direct antimicrobial activity, some antimicrobial age nts may interfere in the complex host-microorganism interplay by modul ating the natural response to invading pathogens. The three main aspec ts of this non-antibiotic effect (alteration of bacterial virulence, s ynergism with/impairment of the natural host response, impact on effec tor cell progenitors) will be briefly reviewed here, along with their potential incidence in the clinical outcome of infectious diseases.