Daptomycin (6 mg per kilogram daily) is not inferior to standard therapy for S. aureus bacteremia and right-sided endocarditis. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00093067 [ClinicalTrials.gov].).

Increased protein kinase C (PKC) activity in malignant breast tissue and positive correlations between PKC activity and expression of a more aggressive phenotype in breast cancer cell lines suggest a role for this signal transduction pathway in the pathogenesis and/or progression of breast cancer. To examine the role of PKC in the progression of breast cancer, human MCF-7 breast cancer cells were transfected with PKC-a, and a group of heterogenous cells stably overexpressing PKC-a were isolated (MCF-7-PKCa). MCF-7-PKC-a cells expressed fivefold higher levels of PKC-a as compared to parental or vector-transfected MCF-7 cells. MCF-7-PKC-a cells also displayed a substantial increase in endogenous expression of PKC-8 and decreases in expression of the novel 6-and q-PKC isoforms.MCF-7-PKC-a cells displayed an enhanced proliferative rate, anchorage-independent growth, dramatic morphologic alterations including loss of an epithelioid appearance, and increased tumorigenicity in nude mice. MCF-7-PKCa cells exhibited a significant reduction in estrogen receptor expression and decreases in estrogen-dependent gene expression. These findings suggest that the PKC pathway may modulate progression of breast cancer to a more aggressive neoplastic process. (J. Clin. Invest. 1995. 95:1906-1915

No abstract

BACKGROUND: Penicillin skin testing (PST) is a simple and reliable way of diagnosing penicillin allergy. After being off the market for 4 years, penicilloyl-polylysine was reintroduced in 2009 as PRE-PEN. We describe the negative predictive value (NPV) of PST and the impact on antibiotic selection in a sample of hospitalized patients with a reported history of penicillin allergy.

No abstract

Implementation of an antibiotic management programme resulted in substantial reductions in both broad-spectrum and total antimicrobial consumption without having a significant impact on antibiotic susceptibilities of common Gram-negative microorganisms within the institution. The changes in MRSA rate in the non-ICU and ICU settings may reflect infection control measures that were in place during the study period.

Active communication with an infectious disease practitioner can significantly reduce medical ICU antibiotic overuse by earlier modification or cessation of antibiotics without increasing mortality. This in turn can reduce healthcare costs, foster prodigious education, and strengthen relations between the subspecialties.

No abstract