Actinomyces infection

Lincosamides (lincomycin and clindamycin) are representatives of a very small group of drugs synthesized up of an amino acid bound to an amino sugar. Lincosamides bind with the 50 S ribosomal subunit of bacteria and inhibit protein synthesis. They also inhibit pep-tidyltransferase action. Lincosamides are bacteriostatic antibiotics however, when they reach a certain level in the plasma, they also exhibit bactericidal action against some bacteria. Lincosamides are highly active against anaerobic infections such as Peptococcus, Peptostreptococcus, Actinomyces, Propionibacterium, and Clostridium fringens, a few types of Peptococcus and Clostridium. 

Alternative therapy for the following infections when penicillin is contraindicated Uncomplicated gonorrhea due to Neisseria gonorrhoeae] syphilis due to Treponema pallidum, yaws due to T. pertenue] Listeria monocytogenes] anthrax due to Bacillus anthracis] Vincent s infection due to Fusobacterium fusiforme] actinomycosis due to Actinomyces sp. Clostridium sp. 

It is produced by an Actinomyces. Used in the treatment of anaerobic and mixed surgical infections and lung abscess. 

Common causative organisms in adults with canaliculitis include Staphylococcus aureus and Actinomyces species. Primary herpetic infections (herpes simplex, varicella, and vaccinia) have a higher prevalence among patients younger than age 20 years and often present with cutaneous manifestations of the infectious disease. Chronic allergies may also be associated with canalicular obstruction. Occasionally, patients may suffer from canalicular obstruction as a result of topical antimetabolite treatment such as 5-fluorouracil or mitomycin C. 

Success in eradicating the infection also depends on removal of concretions and purulent material from the involved canaliculi. Actinomyces species are especially problematic in this regard, often forming casts within the canaliculus. These particles make it exceedingly difficult to treat cases of bacterial canaliculitis with topical medications alone in general, these dacryoliths must be removed before successful antibiotic treatment. In a few cases manual expression of the stones or casts is possible in others, canaliculotomy is required. In very resistant cases dacryocystorhinostomy may be necessary. 

Actinomycosis. The anaerobe Actinomyces israelii is sensitive to several drugs, but not metronidazole, and access is poor because of granulomatous fibrosis. High doses of benzylpenicillin or amoxicillin are given for several weeks the infections are often mixed with other anaerobic bacteria so metronidazole is often given in addition to ensure activity against all components of the mixture. Co-amoxiclav may be a convenient alternative. Surgery is likely to be needed. 

Miyamoto, ML, Fang. F.C. Pyogenic liver abscess involving Actinomyces case report and review. Clin. Infect. Dis. 1993 16 303—309... 

Gibbons RJ, Hay DI, Cisar JO, Clark WB Adsorbed salivary proline-rich protein I and statherin receptors fortype 1 fimbriae of Actinomyces viscosus T14V-J1 on apatitic surfaces. Infect Immun 1988 56 2990-2993. 

Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) refers to an acute infection of the upper genital tract in women in the reproductive age, involving the uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries. Per definition, PID should be distinguished from pelvic infections caused by medical procedures, pregnancy, and other primary abdominal processes. PID usually results from sexually transmitted ascending infections typically by Neisseria gonorrhoeae or Chlamydia trachomatis, although 30%-40% of cases are polymicrobial. Actinomyces and tuberculosis account for rare causes of PID and may cause tubo-... 

Neeser JR, Chambaz A, Del Vedovo S, Prigent MJ, Guggenheim B. 1988. Specific and nonspecific inhibition of adhesion of oral actinomyces and streptococci to erythrocytes and polystyrene by caseinoglycopeptide derivatives. Infect Immun 56 3201-3208. 

Braun M, Mayer F, Gottschalk G (1981) Clostridium aceticum (Wieringa) a microorganism producing acetic add from molecular hydrogen and carbon dioxide. Arch Microbiol 128 288-293 Brown AT, Breeding LC (1980) Carbon dioxide metabolism by Actinomyces viscosus path > ys for succinate and aspartate production. Infect Immun 28 82-91... 

Yeung, M. K., 1993, Complete nucleotide sequence of the Actinomyces viscosus T14V sialidase gene Presence of a conserved repeating sequence among strains of Actinomyces ssp., Infect. Immun. 61 109-116. 

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