Activity of quinolones against Chlamydia pneumoniae.

Quinolones are currently being used as empirical therapy for the treatment of community-acquired pneumonia and other respiratory infections as they cover a broad range of conventional bacterial and 'atypical' pathogens, including Chlamydia pneumoniae. C. pneumoniae has been associated with 10 to 20% of community-acquired pneumonia in adults and recently has been implicated as being associated with several nonrespiratory conditions, including atherosclerosis. However, data on the treatment of even respiratory infection due to C. pneumoniae are limited. Although currently available quinolones have good activity against C. pneumoniae in vitro, all published treatment studies have relied on serological diagnosis, thus microbiological efficacy has not been assessed. Anecdotal experience suggests that in vitro activity may not always correlate with efficacy in vivo.