Correlation of in vitro and in vivo resistance development to antimicrobial agents

Abstract

Preclinical in vitro and in vivo determinations of the likelihood of an antibiotic to develop resistance can and has proven predictive of their likelihood of resistance development in patients. Problematic antibiotic/bacterial species combinations are often associated with high frequencies of single-step resistance development in that species. Thus, treatment of organisms with rapid in vitro emergence of drug resistance should be monitored carefully. In vitro studies, however, are limited in predicting resistance mediated through acquisition of a resistance plasmid.

The frequency of resistance development to a drug is dependent on factors such as the drug used for selections, the concentration (i.e., dosing) of the drug, the bacterium, and the site of infection. Organisms intrinsically less susceptible to an antibiotic develop resistance rapidly due to their low therapeutic ratios. Since cross-resistance often occurs within an antibiotic class, it may be desirable to initiate therapy with a drug with low resistance-selecting potential. Optimal dosing regimens are especially critical when treating bacterial species likely to develop drug resistance. Though combination drug therapies have proven affective in experimental animal infections and in man, they do not prevent resistant variants from emerging. Understanding of drug-resistance development will contribute to our management of infectious diseases.