Antibiotics and the expression of staphylococcal virulence.

The last 25 years have witnessed a continuing interest in staphylococci as causes of human infection even though over 100 years have elapsed since their discovery. This has been due in part to the recognition of new disease entities such as scalded skin syndrome, toxic shock syndrome and various infections due to coagulase-negative staphylococci. Development of antimicrobial agents has not solved the problem of these infections partly because of their mediation by novel toxins and partly due to the emergence of multiple drug resistance. However study of the interaction between certain antibiotics and staphylococci in vitro and in vivo has provided new knowledge concerning the role of cell wall-associated and soluble virulence factors in the pathogenesis of staphylococcal disease.