Cell Wall Inhibitors and Bacterial Susceptibility to Phagocytosis

Clinical experience has shown that the efficacy of antibiotic therapy depends not only on the direct effect exerted by the antibiotic on a given microorganism (expressed in terms of the minimum inhibitory or minimum bactericidal concentration) but also on the functional activity of the immune system of the host. The literature reports evidence suggesting that many antimicrobial drugs can modulate host defenses in various ways. It thus follows that a possible influence (both negative and positive) of antibiotics on phagocyte functions should always be tested, especially when antibiotics are given for the treatment or prophylaxis of infections in immunocompromised patients. In these cases it would be logical to employ drugs enhancing rather than depressing host defenses.