Concordance of ompA types in children re-infected with ocular Chlamydia trachomatis following mass azithromycin treatment for trachoma.

BACKGROUND: The chlamydial major outer membrane protein, encoded by the ompA gene, is a primary target for chlamydial vaccine research. However, human studies of ompA-specific immunity are limited, and prior studies have been limited in differentiating re-infection from persistent infection. The purpose of this study was to assess whether children living in trachoma-endemic communities with re-infections of ocular chlamydia were more likely to be infected with a different or similar genovar. METHODOLOGY AND FINDINGS: The study included 21 communities from a trachoma-hyperendemic area of Ethiopia that had been treated with a mass azithromycin distribution for trachoma. Conjunctival swabbing was offered to all children younger than 5 years of age at baseline (i.e., pre-treatment), and then at follow-up visits 2 and 6 months later. Swabs were subjected to polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to detect C. trachomatis. A random sample of 359 PCR-positive swabs, stratified by study visit and study community, was chosen for ompA sequencing. In addition, ompA sequencing was performed on all swabs of 24 children who experienced chlamydial re-infection (i.e., positive chlamydial test before treatment, negative test 2 months following mass distribution of azithromycin, and again a positive test 6 months post-treatment). ompA sequencing was successful for 351 of 359 swabs of the random sample and 44 of 48 swabs of the re-infection sample. In the random sample, ompA types clustered within households more than would be expected by chance. Among the 21 re-infected children with complete ompA data, 14 had the same ompA type before and after treatment. CONCLUSION: The high frequency of ompA concordance suggests incomplete genovar-specific protective immunity and the need for multiple antigens as vaccine targets.

Synergy Testing of Antiamoebic Agents for Acanthamoeba: Antagonistic Effect of Voriconazole.

PURPOSE: To determine whether combinations of commonly used antiamoebic agents display synergy in their ability to kill Acanthamoeba cysts in vitro. METHODS: Synergy testing was performed with a microdilution checkerboard assay on 10 clinical Acanthamoeba keratitis isolates collected at the Proctor Foundation from 2008 to 2012. Each isolate was exposed to pairwise combinations of chlorhexidine, propamidine, and voriconazole. The minimum cysticidal concentration (MCC) for each drug pair was estimated for each isolate, and the summed fractional cysticidal concentration (ΣFCC) was calculated for each drug combination in the checkerboard, with synergy defined as a lack of growth at a ΣFCC ≤ 0.5 and antagonism as growth at a ΣFCC > 4. RESULTS: Chlorhexidine and propamidine were cysticidal, with median MCCs of 12.5 (range 1.5-50) and 11.7 (range 0.2-250), respectively. Voriconazole was not cysticidal, with a median MCC of >10,000 µg/mL. The combination of chlorhexidine and propamidine did not markedly change the cysticidal activity compared with either drug alone. By contrast, voriconazole antagonized the cysticidal activity of both chlorhexidine and propamidine, with Acanthamoeba growth observed at antagonistic ΣFCCs in 27 of 49 (55.1%, 95% confidence interval 35.7%-78.6%) checkerboard combinations of voriconazole and chlorhexidine and in 58 of 147 (39.5%, 95% confidence interval 14.3%-50.3%) combinations of voriconazole and propamidine. CONCLUSIONS: In an in vitro assay, voriconazole reduced the cysticidal activity of 2 commonly used antiamoebic drugs. Although the in vivo drug interactions could be different, these observations may be useful in cases of nonhealing Acanthamoeba keratitis being treated with combination therapies that include voriconazole.

The Effect of Antibiotic Selection Pressure on the Nasopharyngeal Macrolide Resistome: A Cluster-randomized Trial.

Background: Frequent use of antibiotics is thought to create selection pressure by clearing susceptible bacteria and allowing resistant bacteria to spread in a community. A cluster-randomized trial comparing 2 different frequencies of mass azithromycin distributions for trachoma provided a convenient experiment for determining the causal relationship between antibiotic consumption and antibiotic resistance. Methods: Twenty-four communities were randomized to either annual or biannual mass azithromycin distributions for trachoma. Randomization was stratified on health catchment area and trachoma prevalence. Swabs were processed for the genetic macrolide resistance determinants ermB and mefA/E in a masked fashion from a random sample of 120 preschool children before treatment and another 120 children after 2 years of mass antibiotics. Results: Macrolide resistance determinants were similar in the 12 annually and 12 biannually treated communities before treatment, with a median prevalence among preschool children of 20% (interquartile range [IQR], 10%-40%) in each group. By 24 months, macrolide resistance determinants were found more commonly in the biannually treated communities (median, 60% [IQR, 50%-80%]) than the annually treated communities (median, 40% [IQR, 20%-40%]; P < .001). Adjusting for baseline, the 24-month prevalence of macrolide resistance determinants in the biannual group was 29.4% higher than that of the annual group (95% confidence interval, 10.5%-56.7%). Conclusions: This randomized trial used direct genetic methods to confirm the causal relationship of community antibiotic consumption and antibiotic resistance. Communities randomized to less frequent use of antibiotics had a significantly lower prevalence of genetic antibiotic resistance determinants. Clinical Trials Registration: NCT00792922.

Diversity of Chlamydia trachomatis in Trachoma-Hyperendemic Communities Treated With Azithromycin.

Prior studies have theorized that low chlamydial genetic diversity following mass azithromycin treatments for trachoma may create a population bottleneck that prevents the return of infection, but little empirical evidence exists to support this hypothesis. In this study, a single mass azithromycin distribution was administered to 21 communities in the Gurage Zone of Ethiopia in 2003. All children aged 1-5 years had conjunctival swabs performed before treatment and 2 and 6 months after treatment. All swabs positive for Chlamydia trachomatis at 2 months underwent typing of the gene encoding the major outer membrane protein (ompA) of C. trachomatis, as did the same number of swabs per community from the pretreatment and 6-month visits. Diversity of ompA types, expressed as the reciprocal of Simpson's index, was calculated for each community. In total, 15 ompA types belonging to the A and B genovars were identified. The mean diversity was 2.11 (95% confidence interval: 1.79, 2.43) before treatment and 2.16 (95% confidence interval: 1.76, 2.55) 2 months after treatment (P = 0.78, paired t test). Diversity of ompA was not associated with the prevalence of ocular chlamydia (P = 0.76) and did not predict subsequent changes in the prevalence of ocular chlamydia (P = 0.32). This study found no evidence to support the theory that ompA diversity is associated with transmission of ocular chlamydia.

Impact of mass azithromycin distribution on malaria parasitemia during the low-transmission season in Niger: a cluster-randomized trial.

We assessed the effect of mass azithromycin treatment on malaria parasitemia in a trachoma trial in Niger. Twenty-four study communities received treatment during the wet, high-transmission season. Twelve of the 24 communities were randomized to receive an additional treatment during the dry, low-transmission season. Outcome measurements were conducted at the community-level in children < 1-72 months of age in May-June 2011. Parasitemia was higher in the 12 once-treated communities (29.8%, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 21.5-40.0%) than in the 12 twice-treated communities (19.5%, 95% CI = 13.0-26.5%, P = 0.03). Parasite density was higher in once-treated communities (354 parasites/µL, 95% CI = 117-528 parasites/µL) than in twice-treated communities (74 parasites/µL, 95% CI = 41-202 parasites/µL, P = 0.03). Mass distribution of azithromycin reduced malaria parasitemia 4-5 months after the intervention. The results suggest that drugs with antimalaria activity can have long-lasting impacts on malaria during periods of low transmission.