Abstract
Neisseria gonorrhoeae, the causative agent of gonococcal infection, is known to frequently change their characteristics to evade host immune mechanism. Characterization of the clinical isolates of the organism can lead to identification of the circulating strains and often a sexual network in a community to help in designing the control strategy. Keeping in mind the above consideration, a total of 239 N. gonorrhoeae, isolated from high-risk populations, were characterized for serotypes and serovars by monoclonal antibodies against protein 1 of the organism. Majority of the serotypes were serotype B (142, 59.4%). Majority of the isolates showing resistance to at least one of the antibiotics tested were also serotype B (139, 59.2%), whereas, majority of the isolates showing resistance to any three of the antibiotics (multidrug resistant, MDR) (63%) was serotype A. A total of 41 different serovars were also identified and five of which (Arst, Bropt, Bopt, Arost, and Brop) included the highest percent (49.3%) of the isolates. Many serovars (23/41, 56.1%) were new emergent and included 58 (24.3%) of the isolates investigated. All of the new serovars were resistant to at least one of the antibiotics tested and the highest rate (40/102, 39.2%) was MDR. Serotyping and serovar determination was found contributory to understand the microepidemics of the N. gonorrhoeae isolates. Further studies including antibiogram and contact tracing can efficiently help in control of the disease.
Highlights
Neisseria gonorrhoeae, the aetiological agent of gonococcal infection or gonorrhoea, is pathogenic for humans only and adapts to the moist mucous membranes of genital tract and other similar structures
On distribution of the serotypes among high-risk population groups from whom the N. gonorrhoeae were isolated, it was found that majority of the isolates were type B among all populations, the highest rate being among the male individuals with history of exposure attending out-patientdepartments (Male-OPD) (75%, 42/56), followed by male sex for male (MSMs) (66.7%, 2/3) and long-distant male truckers (GM-Truckers) (62.5%, 10/16) (Table I)
Majority of the isolates investigated in the present study showed resistance to any one or two of the antibiotics tested previously and majority of the Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG) isolates showing resistance to at least any one of the antibiotic tested was serotype B (139, 59.2%) and the results correlate well with the reported fact that that Protein IB strains are more resistant to antibiotics[13]
Summary
The aetiological agent of gonococcal infection or gonorrhoea, is pathogenic for humans only and adapts to the moist mucous membranes of genital tract and other similar structures. Immunological and biochemical data have determined that there are two distinct structural variants of the porin protein, IA and IB that are further subclassified into serovars based on reactivity to a panel of PI-specific monoclonal antibodies. This information forms the basis of a serological typing system for the gonococcus[4]
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