Effects of antibiotics on Shiga toxin 2 production and bacteriophage induction by epidemic Escherichia coli O104:H4 strain

Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2012 Jun;56(6):3277-82. doi: 10.1128/AAC.06315-11. Epub 2012 Mar 5.

Abstract

The role of antibiotics in treatment of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) infections is controversial because of concerns about triggering hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS) by increasing Shiga toxin (Stx) production. During the recent large EHEC O104:H4 outbreak, antibiotic therapy was indicated for some patients. We tested a diverse panel of antibiotics to which the outbreak strain is susceptible to interrogate the effects of subinhibitory antibiotic concentrations on induction of stx(2)-harboring bacteriophages, stx(2) transcription, and Stx2 production in this emerging pathogen. Ciprofloxacin significantly increased stx(2)-harboring phage induction and Stx2 production in outbreak isolates (P values of <0.001 to <0.05), while fosfomycin, gentamicin, and kanamycin insignificantly influenced them (P > 0.1) and chloramphenicol, meropenem, azithromycin, rifaximin, and tigecycline significantly decreased them (P ≤ 0.05). Ciprofloxacin and chloramphenicol significantly upregulated and downregulated stx(2) transcription, respectively (P < 0.01); the other antibiotics had insignificant effects (P > 0.1). Meropenem, azithromycin, and rifaximin, which were used for necessary therapeutic or prophylactic interventions during the EHEC O104:H4 outbreak, as well as tigecycline, neither induced stx(2)-harboring phages nor increased stx(2) transcription or Stx2 production in the outbreak strain. These antibiotics might represent therapeutic options for patients with EHEC O104:H4 infection if antibiotic treatment is inevitable. We await further analysis of the epidemic to determine if usage of these agents was associated with an altered risk of developing HUS.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / pharmacology*
  • Azithromycin / pharmacology
  • Bacteriophages / drug effects*
  • Chloramphenicol / pharmacology
  • Ciprofloxacin / pharmacology
  • Escherichia coli / drug effects*
  • Escherichia coli / metabolism*
  • Escherichia coli / virology
  • Meropenem
  • Minocycline / analogs & derivatives
  • Minocycline / pharmacology
  • Rifamycins / pharmacology
  • Rifaximin
  • Shiga Toxin 2 / metabolism*
  • Thienamycins / pharmacology
  • Tigecycline

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • Rifamycins
  • Shiga Toxin 2
  • Thienamycins
  • Ciprofloxacin
  • Chloramphenicol
  • Tigecycline
  • Azithromycin
  • Meropenem
  • Minocycline
  • Rifaximin