The Fight Against Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria
Authors: Larry A. Weinrauch, John A. D'Elia
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2017)

Letters3 January 2017The Fight Against Multidrug-Resistant BacteriaLarry A. Weinrauch, MD and John A. D'Elia, MDLarry A. Weinrauch, MDFrom Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts; Joslin Diabetes Center, Boston, Massachusetts.Search for more papers by this author and John A. D'Elia, MDFrom Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts; Joslin Diabetes Center, Boston, Massachusetts.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/L16-0583 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail TO THE EDITOR:Deak and colleagues' (1) thorough review of progress toward treatment of multidrug-resistant bacteria is of great interest. Few industry-directed antibiotic trials require strategies to improve host immunity and defense or physical and chemical bacterial characteristics, such as acidification of the urine. Assessment of end points in most trials remains nebulous, as Deak and colleagues elucidate. We are curious whether the authors have an opinion on studies reporting a potentiator role for generically available calcium-channel blockers. We are aware of publications on multidrug-resistant malaria (2), schistosomiasis, tuberculosis (3), and bacteria (4). However, we have not seen any results ...References1. Deak D, Outterson K, Powers JH, Kesselheim AS. Progress in the fight against multidrug-resistant bacteria? A review of U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved antibiotics, 2010-2015. Ann Intern Med. 2016;165:363-72. [PMID: 27239977]. doi:10.7326/M16-0291 LinkGoogle Scholar2. Scheibel LW, Colombani PM, Hess AD, Aikawa M, Atkinson CT, Milhous WK. Calcium and calmodulin antagonists inhibit human malaria parasites (Plasmodium falciparum): implications for drug design. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1987;84:7310-4. [PMID: 3313391] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar3. Song L, Cui R, Yang Y, Wu X. Role of calcium channels in cellular antituberculosis effects: potential of voltage-gated calcium-channel blockers in tuberculosis therapy. J Microbiol Immunol Infect. 2015;48:471-6. [PMID: 25442874] doi:10.1016/j.jmii.2014.08.026 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar4. Pletz MW, Michaylov N, Schumacher U, van der Linden M, Duesberg CB, Fuehner T, et al. Antihypertensives suppress the emergence of fluoroquinolone-resistant mutants in pneumococci: an in vitro study. Int J Med Microbiol. 2013;303:176-81. [PMID: 23545281] doi:10.1016/j.ijmm.2013.02.014 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar5. Weinrauch LA, D'Elia JA, Gleason RE, Shaffer D, Monaco AP. Role of calcium channel blockers in diabetic renal transplant patients: preliminary observations on protection from sepsis. Clin Nephrol. 1995;44:185-92. [PMID: 8556835] MedlineGoogle Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: From Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts; Joslin Diabetes Center, Boston, Massachusetts.Disclosures: Disclosures can be viewed at www.acponline.org/authors/icmje/ConflictOfInterestForms.do?msNum=L16-0583. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoProgress in the Fight Against Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria? A Review of U.S. Food and Drug Administration–Approved Antibiotics, 2010–2015 Dalia Deak , Kevin Outterson , John H. Powers , and Aaron S. Kesselheim The Fight Against Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria Helen W. Boucher , Sara E. Cosgrove , Edward Cox , and George H. Talbot The Fight Against Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria Dalia Deak , John H. Powers , Kevin Outterson , and Aaron S. Kesselheim Metrics Cited byInfection and Malignancy Outweigh Cardiovascular Mortality in Kidney Transplant Recipients: Post Hoc Analysis of the FAVORIT Trial 3 January 2017Volume 166, Issue 1Page: 77-78KeywordsAntibioticsBacteriaDisclosureFood and Drug AdministrationMalariaMotivationMultidrug resistanceSchistosomiasisStatistical methodsUrine ePublished: 3 January 2017 Issue Published: 3 January 2017 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 2017 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...