OCULAR IMMUNOLOGY AND INFLAMMATION, cilt.14, sa.6, ss.347-351, 2006 (SCI-Expanded)
Purpose: To evaluate and compare the in vitro antifungal activity of moxifloxacin and gatifloxacin against Candida species isolated from ocular infections. Methods: Tube microdilutions test was used to determine antifungal activity of the agents for 21 Candida isolates and one quality control strain. Drugs evaluated included topical preparations of fluoroquinolones ( FQs), moxifloxacin (Vigamox), and gatifloxacin (Zymar). Serial dilutions of moxifloxacin (0.5%, 0.25%, 0.125%) and gatifloxacin (0.3%, 0.15%, 0.075%) were prepared for the microtube dilutions test. Aliquots (0.01 ul) were plated onto Sabouraud agar and colonies were counted. Results: Both drugs undiluted inhibited greater than 95% of growth at 24 hrs. There was no significant difference between moxifloxacin and gatifloxacin at undiluted concentrations ( p = 1.00); however, the mean number of colony forming units in gatifloxacin group was significantly less than that of moxifloxacin at diluted concentrations of the drugs (p< 0.05). Conclusions: Current commercial topical preparations of moxifloxacin and gatifloxacin demonstrated a definite in vitro antifungal activity against ocular Candida species; however, clinical efficacy of these agents remains unproven. The greater inhibition of growth of organisms with gatifloxacin compared to moxifloxacin is possibly because of the presence of BAK in Zymar.