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The previously described anti-endotoxin effect of colistin has not been investigated in humans yet. We performed a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover trial to determine the degree of colistin-driven modulation of inflammatory response in blood of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-challenged healthy volunteers in a human endotoxemia model. After a single intravenous dose of 2.5 million IU colistin methanesulfonate, interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), and IL-1β concentrations as well as other biomarkers of inflammation such as C-reactive protein, differential leukocyte counts, and body temperature were measured up to 24 h postdose. Colistin significantly decreased the inflammatory cytokine response to LPS in blood of healthy volunteers. This effect was most evident for IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α. This study is the first to confirm the anti-endotoxin effect of colistin in humans in vivo. Further studies might increase our knowledge on the interaction between colistin and the effectors of the immune system.
Matzneller et al. (Sat,) studied this question.