Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy (1999) 43, 345-349
© 1999 The British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy
The antibacterial efficacy of levofloxacin and ciprofloxacin against Pseudomonas aeruginosaassessed by combining antibiotic exposure and bacterial susceptibility
Bristol Centre for Antimicrobial Research and Evaluation, Southmead Health Services NHS Trust and University of Bristol, Department of Medical Microbiology, Southmead Hospital, Westbury-on-Trym, Bristol BS10 5NB, UK
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Abstract |
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Ciprofloxacin has a four-fold greater in-vitro activity than levofloxacin against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, but levofloxacin has a four-fold higher area under the serum concentration-time curve (AUC) for an equivalent dose. It has been proposed that the AUC/MIC ratio is a general predictor of antibacterial efficacy for quinolones. Using an in-vitro kill curve technique, performed in quadruplicate, with nine antibiotic concentrations and three strains of P. aeruginosa with varying quinolone susceptibility, we constructed sigmoidal dose- response curves for AUC0–6.5/MIC and area under the bacterial kill curve (AUBKC) or AUC0–24/MIC and log change in viable count at 24 h (
24). For levofloxacin the log AUC0–6.5/MIC ratio to produce
50% of the maximal effect was 0.74 ± 0.13 (r2 =
0.9435) for levofloxacin and 0.82 ± 0.06 (r2 = 0.7935) for
ciprofloxacin. The log AUC0–24/MIC ratio to produce 50% maximal
effect was 1.58 ± 0.13 (r2 = 0.7788) for levofloxacin and
1.37 ± 0.12 (r2 = 0.7207) for ciprofloxacin. An AUC0–24/MIC ratio of 125 produced 85.4% of the maximal response with
levofloxacin and 81.5% with ciprofloxacin. These data suggest that levofloxacin and
ciprofloxacin have equivalent activity against P. aeruginosa at equivalent AUC/MIC
ratios. |
Introduction |
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TopAbstractIntroductionMaterials and methodsResultsDiscussionReferences |
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The main pharmacodynamic predictor of antibacterial efficacy for ciprofloxacin is the ratio of drug exposure as defined by concentration and time divided by the ciprofloxacin susceptibility of the pathogen as indicated by the MIC. The use of in-vitro pharmacodynamic models has indicated that the area under the serum concentration-time curve (AUC)/MIC ratio can be related to bacterial killing for ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin, levofloxacin and moxifloxacin (BAY 12-8039).1234 The parameter used to measure bacterial killing is of critical importance in these calculations and the area under the bacterial kill curve (AUBKC) or a derivative has gained some acceptance though other parameters are used.2,4,6,7 In addition there are data to show that it is not crucial whether ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin and ofloxacin are dosed once or twice a day; their antibacterial effects are similar provided they have a similar AUC/MIC ratio.1,8 However, some in-vitro and animal data favour maximum serum concentration (C max)/MIC ratios as determining outcome but this effect may be of secondary importance to the AUC/ MIC.9,10,11 Furthermore, human data from ITU pneumonia and COPD exacerbations indicate that an AUC/MIC ratio of >125 is related to pathogen clearance and clinical outcome.12,13
From these data it can be speculated that, provided quinolones have the same AUC/MIC ratio, they will be equally effective in laboratory models or clinical practice. However, this assumes that all quinolones kill different bacterial species in an equivalent way. This is not the case with pneumococci even if the MICs are similar.14 The purpose of this study was to compare the bactericidal activity of levofloxacin and ciprofloxacin against Pseudomonas aeruginosa by using a sigmoid exposure response model, to determine the 50% AUC/MIC ratios for lethal effect for each agent.
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Materials and methods |
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TopAbstractIntroductionMaterials and methodsResultsDiscussionReferences |
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Three bacterial strains were used with varying quinolone susceptibilities, P. aeruginosa strain 5761 being the most susceptible, strain 11683 of intermediate susceptibility, and strain 8545 the least susceptible. MICs were determined for levofloxacin and ciprofloxacin in a macrobroth dilution method using Isosensitest broth and increases in drug concentration of 0.1 mg/L. Levofloxacin (Hoechst Marion Roussel, Uxbridge, UK) and ciprofloxacin (Bayer PLC, Newbury, UK) were used. In the time-kill curve experiments they were used at concentrations of 0.25, 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 10 mg/L. The kill curves were performed by a modification of established technique.15 Twenty-millilitre Isosensitest broths (Unipath, Basingstoke, UK), were inoculated to give a final inoculum of 106 cfu/mL. For each antimicrobial a set of ten broths was incorporated with the required antibiotic concentration plus a growth control. These were sampled and diluted as necessary, and viable counts were performed using a spiral plater (Spiral System; Don Whitley, Shipley, UK) at time 0, then every 30 min up to 2.5 h, then hourly up to 6.5 h, and finally at 24 h. Counts were obtained on nutrient agar plates containing 0.1% magnesium chloride which inactivated any residual antibiotic. Viable counts were read manually after incubation at 37°C for 24 h. Each kill curve was performed in quadruplicate.
Data analysis
Time-kill curves were drawn by plotting log cfu/mL against time in hours. The AUBKC for 0–6.5 h was calculated using the Graph Pad Prism software package (Graph Pad Software Inc., San Diego, CA, USA). The AUBKC was determined by the trapezoid rule.
Drug exposure was calculated by multiplying the quinolone concentrations by 6.5 h or 24 h
then dividing by the MIC for the strain to give an AUC0–6.5/MIC ratio or
AUC0–24/MIC ratio. A sigmoidal dose-response with HILLSLOPE 21.0 was
fitted to the data for log AUC0–6.5/MIC and AUBKC or log AUC0–24/MIC and log change in viable count at 24 h (
24). The minimum and
maximum values, log AUC/MIC producing the 50% response between the maximum and
minimum responses, and r2 were calculated. The percentage of maximal
response produced by an AUC0–24/MIC of 125 was read off the dose-
response curve for each drug.
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Results |
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TopAbstractIntroductionMaterials and methodsResultsDiscussionReferences |
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The three strains of P. aeruginosa used had levofloxacin MICs of 0.8 mg/L (strain 5761), 0.12 mg/L (strain 11683) and 4 mg/L (strain 8545); the equivalent MICs of ciprofloxacin were 0.09 mg/L (5761), 0.6 mg/L (11683) and 1.2 mg/L (8545).
As might be expected because of lower ciprofloxacin MIC values, the degree of killing at
equivalent quinolone concentrations in the kill curves was usually significantly superior with
ciprofloxacin than with levofloxacin (Table). With strain 5761, the most
quinolone-susceptible,
this was only apparent at concentrations of 
0.5 mg/L as at greater concentrations the strain
was rapidly killed by both drugs. For strain 11683, which was of intermediate susceptibility, and
strain 8545, the least susceptible, both agents were equivalent at low concentration as little
killing occurred with either drug, but at higher concentrations ciprofloxacin was more
bactericidal than levofloxacin as measured by AUBKC (Table). A
dose-response curve was
fitted to the data using AUC0–6.5/MIC ratio and AUBKC. This allowed the
drugs' bactericidal properties to be compared taking into account ciprofloxacin's
lower MIC. The log AUC0–6.6/MIC to produce 50% of the maximal
effect was 0.74 ± 0.13 (95% CI, 0.49–0.99; r2
= 0.9435) for levofloxacin and 0.82 ± 0.06 (95% CI, 0.69–0.94; r2 = 0.7935) for ciprofloxacin. The maximum AUBKC for the
levofloxacin AUC0–6.5/MIC responses was 41.3 ± 3.8 (95%
CI, 33.9–48.8) and the minimum –1.6 ± 1.8 (95% CI, –5.2
to 2.0). Equivalent values for ciprofloxacin were: maximum, 47.4 ± 2.3 (95% CI,
42.8–51.9); minimum –4.8 ± 1.1 (95% CI, –6.9 to 2.6)
(Figure 1).
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A similar log AUC 0–24/MIC response curve was calculated using
24. The log AUC
0–24/MIC ratio required to produce 50% of the maximum growth was
1.58 ± 0.13 (95% CI, 1.33–1.84, r2 =
0.7788) for levofloxacin and 1.37 ± 0.12 (95% CI, 1.13–1.61, r2 = 0.7207) for ciprofloxacin. The maximum 24 was 3.8 ±
0.6 (95% CI, 2.6–5.0) for levofloxacin and 5.0 ± 1.0 (95% CI,
3.0–7.0) for ciprofloxacin. Minimum values were –6.3 ± 0.7 (95%
CI, – 7.7–5.0) for levofloxacin and –4.8 ± 0.3 (95% CI,
– 4.4–5.5) for ciprofloxacin (Figure 2). An AUC0–24/MIC of 125 produced 85.4% of the maximal response for levofloxacin
and 81.5% for ciprofloxacin.
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Discussion |
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TopAbstractIntroductionMaterials and methodsResultsDiscussionReferences |
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It is already known that levofloxacin has higher MIC values than ciprofloxacin and is less bactericidal at equivalent concentrations against P. aeruginosa. However, the main determinant of outcome with quinolones is the drug exposure modified by the pathogen's susceptibility. Pharmacokinetic data indicate that a single 500 mg dose of levofloxacin produces an AUC
of 45.6 mg/L/h, while an equivalent dose of ciprofloxacin produces
one of 9.9 mg/L/h.16,17 Multiple doses of 500 mg levofloxacin and ciprofloxacin also produce AUC
0–24 values which are approximately four times greater for levofloxacin than
for ciprofloxacin.18,19
Ciprofloxacin is about four times more active than levofloxacin in terms of mean MIC, MIC
50 and MIC90 for P. aeruginosa, including strains isolated in the
UK (Fish & Chow;18 D. Felmingham, personal
communication), hence, it is likely that, in the treatment of P. aeruginosa, levofloxacin
and ciprofloxacin will have similar AUC/MIC ratios. Data from in-vitro models using P.
aeruginosa indicate that for ofloxacin and ciprofloxacin the AUC/MIC thresholds required
to produce a maximum bacterial effect as measured by AUBKC are the same.
4 However, when ofloxacin and ciprofloxacin were
modelled simulating pharmacologically achievable concentrations, then ciprofloxacin was
superior to ofloxacin, but AUC/ MIC ratios were not comparable and favoured ciprofloxacin.
5 Data using Staphylococcus aureus would also
support the concept that, provided the AUC/MIC ratios were similar, levofloxacin and
ciprofloxacin have similar bactericidal activity in an in-vitro model.
8 A sigmoid Emax model has been
used previously to study the bactericidal activity of ciprofloxacin but the rate of kill was
compared with the concentration/MIC ratio so the data are not comparable to our own.
20 These data indicate that, provided the AUC/MIC ratios
are equivalent, then the bactericidal activities of levofloxacin and ciprofloxacin are equivalent,
hence an AUC24/MIC ratio of 125 produced an 80–85% maximal
response with both agents and the log E50 are equivalent. This may not be
true of all pathogen groups as it has been suggested that levofloxacin is more bactericidal than
ciprofloxacin against Streptococcus pneumoniae.14 Our data, in conjunction with many other findings, suggest that in the therapy of P. aeruginosa, ciprofloxacin and levofloxacin will be equally active, provided the drug exposure/MIC ratios are the same. This would seem likely given the pharmacokinetics and in-vitro susceptibilities of these agents.
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Acknowledgments |
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We would like to thank Mr M. Barlow of Hoechst Marion Roussel for his support in performing this study.
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Notes |
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* Corresponding author. Tel: +44-117-9595652; Fax: +44-117-9593154.
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References |
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TopAbstractIntroductionMaterials and methodsResultsDiscussionReferences |
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Received 3 February 1998; returned 23 March 1998; revised 7 April 1998; accepted 7 May 1998
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