Systemic Lysostaphin in Man — Apparent Antimicrobial Activity in a Neutropenic Patient

LYSOSTAPHIN, a peptide enzyme extracted from a strain of Staphylococcus staphylolyticus, has been dramatically effective in experimental Staph. aureus infections in animals.1 Topical applications have been useful in eliminating the nasal staphylococcal carrier state in man.2 Systemic use of lysostaphin in man has not been encouraged because of potential immunogenicity.3 However, its use in single, continuous, brief courses for overwhelming or unresponsive staphylococcal infections has been proposed. A single trial of systemic lysostaphin was attempted in a young man with unresponsive leukemia who was suffering from staphylococcal pneumonia, multiple abscesses, and cellulitis. Death from daunomycin-induced heart failure shortly after . . .