Pharmacodynamic and Immunomodulatory Effects of Micafungin on Host Responses against Biofilms of Candida parapsilosis in Comparison to Those of Candida albicans.

Micafungin (MFG) demonstrates potent activity against biofilms of and , the most frequent opportunistic fungal pathogens. Little is known about its immunopharmacologic effect on antibiofilm activity of phagocytic cells following exposure to biofilms. In this study, we investigated the effects of MFG on human neutrophil-mediated damage of and biofilms by XTT [2,3-bis(2-methoxy-4-nitro-5-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium-5-carboxanilide] and the potential mechanisms underlying the immunomodulatory MFG activities on cultured monocyte-derived THP-1 cells in response to these biofilms by reverse transcription-PCR and sandwich and multiplex enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

Methylprednisolone impairs conidial phagocytosis but does not attenuate hyphal damage by neutrophils against Exserohilum rostratum.

Exserohilum rostratum caused a multistate fungal meningitis outbreak following iatrogenic inoculation of contaminated methylprednisolone in the United States. To gain insight into the immunopathogenesis of this infection, we studied the innate host responses of human neutrophils against E. rostratum conidia and hyphae with or without methylprednisolone.

Caspofungin at catheter lock concentrations eradicates mature biofilms of Candida lusitaniae and Candida guilliermondii.

The antibiofilm activities of caspofungin, anidulafungin, micafungin, and liposomal amphotericin B were studied against Candida lusitaniae, Candida guilliermondii, and a Candida albicans control strain. While anidulafungin and micafungin (0.007 to 2,048 mg/liter) showed reduced activity against biofilms of both test species, caspofungin displayed concentration-dependent antibiofilm activity, reaching complete and persistent eradication at concentrations achievable during lock therapy (512 to 2,048 mg/liter, P < 0.

Species-specific and drug-specific differences in susceptibility of Candida biofilms to echinocandins: characterization of less common bloodstream isolates.

Candida species other than Candida albicans are increasingly recognized as causes of biofilm-associated infections. This is a comprehensive study that compared the in vitro activities of all three echinocandins against biofilms formed by different common and infrequently identified Candida isolates. We determined the activities of anidulafungin (ANID), caspofungin (CAS), and micafungin (MFG) against planktonic cells and biofilms of bloodstream isolates of C.