Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Journal of Clinical Pathology logoLink to Journal of Clinical Pathology
. 1983 Dec;36(12):1353–1356. doi: 10.1136/jcp.36.12.1353

Detection of penicillin tolerance in streptococci.

G J Slater, D Greenwood
PMCID: PMC498567  PMID: 6361074

Abstract

"Tolerance" to penicillin in streptococci was investigated by two different techniques. Of 70 strains examined, 35 appeared tolerant in conventional titrations and 31 appeared tolerant when tested by a recently-described disc method. There was 88% agreement between the two methods, but the disc test failed to detect tolerance shown by titrations in six strains of streptococci, including three beta-haemolytic strains belonging to Lancefield's group D. A significant relationship was observed between tolerance and Eagle's optimum dosage effect: 71% of tolerant strains examined displayed the Eagle effect, whereas only 17% of non-tolerant strains exhibited the effect.

Full text

PDF
1353

Selected References

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

  1. Anderson A. W., Cruickshank J. G. Endocarditis due to viridans-type streptococci tolerant to beta-lactam antibiotics: therapeutic problems. Br Med J (Clin Res Ed) 1982 Sep 25;285(6345):854–854. doi: 10.1136/bmj.285.6345.854. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Blumberg P. M., Strominger J. L. Interaction of penicillin with the bacterial cell: penicillin-binding proteins and penicillin-sensitive enzymes. Bacteriol Rev. 1974 Sep;38(3):291–335. doi: 10.1128/br.38.3.291-335.1974. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Bradely J. J., Mayhall C. G., Dalton H. P. Incidence and characteristics of antibiotic-tolerant strains of Staphylococcus aureus. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1978 Jun;13(6):1052–1057. doi: 10.1128/aac.13.6.1052. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Bradley H. E., Weldy P. L., Hodes D. S. Tolerance in Staphylococcus aureus. Lancet. 1979 Jan 20;1(8108):150–150. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(79)90536-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Brennan R. O., Durack D. T. Therapeutic significance of penicillin tolerance in experimental streptococcal endocarditis. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1983 Feb;23(2):273–277. doi: 10.1128/aac.23.2.273. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Dankert J., Holloway Y., Joldersma W., Hess J. Screening for penicillin tolerance in viridans streptococci by a simple disk method. J Clin Microbiol. 1982 Oct;16(4):744–746. doi: 10.1128/jcm.16.4.744-746.1982. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Gutmann L., Tomasz A. Penicillin-resistant and penicillin-tolerant mutants of group A Streptococci. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1982 Jul;22(1):128–136. doi: 10.1128/aac.22.1.128. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Holloway Y., Dankert J., Hess J. Penicillin tolerance and bacterial endocarditis. Lancet. 1980 Mar 15;1(8168 Pt 1):589–589. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(80)91070-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Horne D., Tomasz A. Tolerant response of Streptococcus sanguis to beta-lactams and other cell wall inhibitors. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1977 May;11(5):888–896. doi: 10.1128/aac.11.5.888. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Kim K. S., Anthony B. F. Penicillin tolerance in group B streptococci isolated from infected neonates. J Infect Dis. 1981 Nov;144(5):411–419. doi: 10.1093/infdis/144.5.411. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Mackintosh I. P., O'Grady F., Greenwood D., Watson B. W., Crichton T. C., Piper R., Ferrer A. A twelve channel bacterial growth monitoring system. Biomed Eng. 1973 Dec;8(12):514–passim. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. McDonald M., Miles H., Hart D., Sonenberg N. Penicillin tolerance in Streptococcus faecalis. Lancet. 1980 Aug 9;2(8189):321–321. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(80)90270-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Noble J. T., Tyburski M. B., Berman M., Greenspan J., Tenenbaum M. J. Antimicrobial tolerance in group G streptococci. Lancet. 1980 Nov 1;2(8201):982–982. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(80)92143-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Portnoy D., Prentis J., Richards G. K. Penicillin tolerance of human isolates of group C streptococci. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1981 Aug;20(2):235–238. doi: 10.1128/aac.20.2.235. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Rajashekaraiah K. R., Rice T., Rao V. S., Marsh D., Ramakrishna B., Kallick C. A. Clinical significance of tolerant strains of Staphylococcus aureus in patients with endocarditis. Ann Intern Med. 1980 Dec;93(6):796–801. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-93-6-796. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Sabath L. D., Wheeler N., Laverdiere M., Blazevic D., Wilkinson B. J. A new type of penicillin resistance of Staphylococcus aureus. Lancet. 1977 Feb 26;1(8009):443–447. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(77)91941-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Sharpe A. N., Kilsby D. C. A rapid, inexpensive bacterial count technique using agar droplets. J Appl Bacteriol. 1971 Jun;34(2):435–440. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2672.1971.tb02303.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Tomasz A. The mechanism of the irreversible antimicrobial effects of penicillins: how the beta-lactam antibiotics kill and lyse bacteria. Annu Rev Microbiol. 1979;33:113–137. doi: 10.1146/annurev.mi.33.100179.000553. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Clinical Pathology are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES