[Immunosuppressive effect of cyclophosphamide in experimental coagulase-negative staphylococcal infection]. / Cyclophosphamid immunszuppresszió hatása experimentális koaguláz-negatív staphylococcus fertözésekre.

ABSTRACT

BALB/c mice were given 200 mg/kg cyclophosphamide intraperitoneally. Three days later, mice were infected intraperitoneally with Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus haemolyticus, Staphylococcus saprophyticus at 4 inocula ranging between 2 x and 20 x 10(8) CFU/ml suspended in dextran microcarrier solution. Controls were treated only with bacteria. Lethality rates and organ persistence of cocci were significantly higher, and more peritoneal abscesses and adhesions developed in the mice pretreated with cyclophosphamide than in the untreated controls, regardless of the species of Staphylococcus injected. Splenomegaly was also more pronounced indicating a probably enhanced compensatory reactivity of the immune system liberated from suppression 13 days after the administration of cyclophosphamide. Our results show that cyclophosphamide treatment increases the susceptibility of mice to infection by coagulase-negative staphylococci and it is also responsible for a more severe course of the diseases provoked.