Antibiotic Selection May Contribute to Increases in Macrolide‐Resistant Treponema pallidum

• Published in: The Journal of infectious diseases Vol. 194; no. 12; pp. 1771 - 1773
• Main Authors: Marra, Christina M. , Colina, April P. , Godornes, Charmie , Tantalo, Lauren C. , Puray, Maritza , Centurion‐Lara, Arturo , Lukehart, Sheila A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chicago, IL University of Chicago Press 15.12.2006
• Subjects: Antibiotics; Bacteria; Bacteriology; Biological and medical sciences; Drug Resistance, Bacterial - genetics; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Genetic mutation; Health care administration; HIV Infections - complications; Humans; Infectious diseases; Macrolides; Macrolides - pharmacology; Macrolides - therapeutic use; Male; Medical sciences; Microbiology; Miscellaneous; Mutation; Penicillin; Polymerase chain reaction; RNA, Bacterial - genetics; RNA, Ribosomal, 23S - genetics; Selection, Genetic; Syphilis; Syphilis - complications; Syphilis - drug therapy; Syphilis - microbiology; T lymphocytes; Treponema pallidum; Treponema pallidum - drug effects; Treponema pallidum - genetics; Treponema pallidum - isolation & purification; Washington; Washington; Infection; Resistance; Antibiotic; Spirochaetales; Microbiology; Bacteria; Treponemataceae; Treponema pallidum
• ISSN: 0022-1899; 1537-6613
• DOI: 10.1086/509512

To determine whether the 23S rRNA mutation that confers macrolide resistance is present in >1 Treponema pallidum strain, 58 isolates collected between 2001 and 2005 were screened for this mutation and for an unrelated sequence that distinguishes between strains. The odds of identifying a macrolide‐resistant strain increased over time (P=.006). In subjects who had received macrolides in the previous year, the relative risk of harboring a resistant strain was 2.2 (95% confidence interval, 1.1–4.4; P=.02). The macrolide‐resistant strains were not identical. These findings suggest that macrolide resistance may be increasing in multiple strains in response to antibiotic pressure.