Skip to main content
NCBI home page
The British Journal of Venereal Diseases logoLink to The British Journal of Venereal Diseases
. 1980 Dec;56(6):363–367. doi: 10.1136/sti.56.6.363

Penicillin concentrations in cerebrospinal fluid after different treatment regimens for syphilis.

N Polnikorn, R Witoonpanich, M Vorachit, S Vejjajiva, A Vejjajiva
PMCID: PMC1045832  PMID: 7448578

Abstract

The concentrations of penicillin in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) were compared simultaneously with those in the serum in 17 patients with syphilis. The antibiotic concentrations were measured by the agar well diffusion method. There were no detectable concentrations of penicillin in the CSF after administration of benzathine penicillin 2.4 megaunits, benzathine penicillin 7.2 megaunits, procaine penicillin in aluminium monostearate (PAM) 12 megaunits, or aqueous procaine penicillin G 2.4 megaunits. Only after high doses of aqueous penicillin G 24 megaunits daily or aqueous penicillin G 2 megaunits daily together with oral probenecid 2 g daily was penicillin detectable in the CSF. The concentrations after the latter regimen were the highest and much higher than the minimum inhibitory concentration for Treponema pallidum.

Full text

PDF
363

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Bennett J. V., Brodie J. L., Benner E. J., Kirby W. M. Simplified, accurate method for antibiotic assay of clinical specimens. Appl Microbiol. 1966 Mar;14(2):170–177. doi: 10.1128/am.14.2.170-177.1966. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Benson P. F., De Jong M. Leucocyte-hexokinase isoenzymes in Down's syndrome. Lancet. 1968 Jul 27;2(7561):197–198. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(68)92627-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. COLLART P., BOREL L. J., DUREL P. [Study of the effect of penicillin in late syphilis: persistence of Treponema pallidum following treatment. 1. Late syphilis--expeimental]. Ann Inst Pasteur (Paris) 1962 May;102:596–615. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Dunlop E. M., Al-Egaily S. S., Houang E. T. Penicillin levels in blood and CSF achieved by treatment of syphilis. JAMA. 1979 Jun 8;241(23):2538–2540. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Dunlop E. M. Persistence of treponemes after treatment. Br Med J. 1972 Jun 3;2(5813):577–580. doi: 10.1136/bmj.2.5813.577. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. HUNTER E. F., DEACON W. E., MEYER P. E. AN IMPROVED FTA TEST FOR SYPHILIS, THE ABSORPTION PROCEDURE (FTA-ABS). Public Health Rep. 1964 May;79:410–412. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Hardy J. B., Hardy P. H., Oppenheimer E. H., Ryan S. J., Jr, Sheff R. N. Failure of penicillin in a newborn with congenital syphilis. JAMA. 1970 May 25;212(8):1345–1349. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Lawton Smith J., Israel C. W. Recovery of spirochagetes in the monkey by passive transfer from human late sero-negative syphilis. Br J Vener Dis. 1968 Jun;44(2):109–115. doi: 10.1136/sti.44.2.109. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Mohr J. A., Griffiths W., Jackson R., Saadah H., Bird P., Riddle J. Neurosyphilis and penicillin levels in cerebrospinal fluid. JAMA. 1976 Nov 8;236(19):2208–2209. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. NICHOLS F. T., Jr, HEYMAN A. Penicillin therapy in asymptomatic neurosyphilis; a comparison of the effects of amorphous penicillin, penicillin in oil and wax, and crystalline penicillin G. Am J Syph Gonorrhea Vener Dis. 1949 Nov;33(6):561–570. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Rathlev T. Haemagglutination test utilizing pathogenic Treponema pallidum for the sero-diagnosis of syphilis. Br J Vener Dis. 1967 Sep;43(3):181–185. doi: 10.1136/sti.43.3.181. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Short D. H., Knox J. M., Glicksman J. Neurosyphilis, the search for adequate treatment. A review and report of a study using benzathine penicillin G. Arch Dermatol. 1966 Jan;93(1):87–91. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Tramont E. C. Persistence of Treponema pallidum following penicillin G therapy. Report of two cases. JAMA. 1976 Nov 8;236(19):2206–2207. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Yoder F. W. Penicillin treatment of neurosyphilis. Are recommended dosages sufficient? JAMA. 1975 Apr 21;232(3):270–271. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Yogeswari L., Chacko C. W. Persistence of T. pallidum and its significance in penicillin-treated seropositive late syphilis. Br J Vener Dis. 1971 Oct;47(5):339–347. doi: 10.1136/sti.47.5.339. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from British Journal of Venereal Diseases are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES