Interaction of ceftriaxone with human polymorphonuclear neutrophil function.

Ceftriaxone, an amino-2-thiazolyl cephalosporin, has been shown to cooperate in vitro with human neutrophils for the killing of some bacteria. In this work the direct interaction with human leucocyte bactericidal function has been studied. Ceftriaxone (1000 to 1 mg/l) did not alter neutrophil chemotaxis or superoxide anion production. It also did not interfere with the chemiluminescence response of isolated PMN although a paradoxical depressive effect was observed with whole human blood in the case of zymosan stimulation. The killing of Staphylococcus aureus and Klebsiella pneumoniae was not enhanced by ceftriaxone and phagocytosis was significantly depressed only with adherent neutrophils but not when using neutrophils in liquid medium. It is concluded that the synergy observed between leucocyte and ceftriaxone for bacterial killing cannot be related to a direct stimulation of neutrophil functions and should depend on bacterial alteration.