Effects of systemic administration of sitafloxacin on subgingival microflora and antimicrobial susceptibility profile in acute periodontal lesions

The aim of this study was to assess the effect(s) of systemic administration of sitafloxacin on subgingival microbial profiles of acute periodontal lesions. Antimicrobial susceptibility of clinical isolates was also investigated. Patients with acute phases of chronic periodontitis were subjected to clinical examination and microbiological assessment of their subgingival plaque samples by culture technique. Sitafloxacin was then administered (100mg/day for 5 days) systemically. The clinical and microbiological examinations were repeated 6-8 days after administration. Susceptibilities of clinical isolates to various antimicrobials were determined using the broth and agar dilution methods. From the sampled sites in 30 participants, a total of 355 clinical isolates (34 different bacterial species) were isolated and identified. Parvimonas micra, Prevotella intermedia and Streptococcus mitis were the most prevalent cultivable bacteria in acute sites. Systemic administration of sitafloxacin yielded a significant improvement in clinical and microbiological parameters. Among the antimicrobials tested, sitafloxacin was the most potent against the clinical isolates with an MIC₉₀ of 0.12μg/ml at baseline. After administration, most clinical isolates were still highly susceptible to sitafloxacin although some increase in MICs was observed. The results suggest that systemic administration of sitafloxacin is effective against subgingival bacteria isolated from acute periodontal lesions.