Comparison of Three Serological Tests in Gonococcal Infection

Three serological tests used in the diagnosis of gonococcal infection were compared with cultural techniques in 857 females attending the Prenatal and Gynaecology Clinics at the Winnipeg General Hospital. The tests evaluated were the microflocculation technique (MFT), the indirect fluorescent-antibody technique (IFAT), and the complement-fixation technique (CFT). One hundred six patients had positive cultures for Neisseria gonorrhoeae. In this population, the MFT was reactive in 80 patients (75.4%), the IFAT was reactive in 74 (69.8%), and the CFT was reactive in 33 (31.1%). In the 751 patients with negative cultures, the MFT was positive in 11.4%, the IFAT was positive in 17.4%, and the CFT was positive in 10.5%. Sera from 9 of 10 patients with gonococcal arthritis were positive with the MFT.     

Immunization against a Saccharide Epitope Accelerates Clearance of Experimental Gonococcal Infection

The emergence of ceftriaxone-resistant strains of Neisseria gonorrhoeae may herald an era of untreatable gonorrhea. Vaccines against this infection are urgently needed. The 2C7 epitope is a conserved oligosaccharide (OS) structure, a part of lipooligosaccharide (LOS) on N gonorrhoeae. The epitope is expressed by 94% of gonococci that reside in the human genital tract (in vivo) and by 95% of first passaged isolates. Absence of the 2C7 epitope shortens the time of gonococcal carriage in a mouse model of genital infection. To circumvent the limitations of saccharide immunogens in producing long lived immune responses, previously we developed a peptide mimic (called PEP1) as an immunologic surrogate of the 2C7-OS epitope and reconfigured it into a multi-antigenic peptide, (MAP1). To test vaccine efficacy of MAP1, female BALB/c mice were passively immunized with a complement-dependent bactericidal monoclonal antibody specific for the 2C7 epitope or were actively immunized with MAP1. Mice immunized with MAP1 developed a T_H1-biased anti-LOS IgG antibody response that was also bactericidal. Length of carriage was shortened in immune mice; clearance occurred in 4 days in mice passively administered 2C7 antibody vs. 6 days in mice administered control IgG3λ mAb in one experiment (p = 0.03) and 6 vs. 9 days in a replicate experiment (p = 0.008). Mice vaccinated with MAP1 cleared infection in 5 days vs. 9 days in mice immunized with control peptide (p = 0.0001 and p = 0.0002, respectively in two replicate experiments). Bacterial burden was lower over the course of infection in passively immunized vs. control mice in both experiments (p = 0.008 and p = 0.0005); burdens were also lower in MAP1 immunized mice vs. controls (p<0.0001) and were inversely related to vaccine antibodies induced in the vagina (p = 0.043). The OS epitope defined by mAb 2C7 may represent an effective vaccine target against gonorrhea, which is rapidly becoming incurable with currently available antibiotics.     

泌尿生殖道非淋菌性感染的病原学以及耐药性分析

目的：探究泌尿生殖道非淋茵性感染的病原学以及耐药性,指导临床合理用药。方法：对我院2006年3月．2011年12月确诊的2136例非淋菌性泌尿生殖道感染患者进行标本采集,对病原体及其耐药性进行检测分析。结果：淋茵感染泌尿生殖道病原茵主要为CT及支原体,男性患者CT感染率高于女性患者,女性患者支原体感染率高于男性患者,此外,念珠茵、滴虫及其他难以检出细菌亦属于致病病原茵的一种;在12种抗生素中,多西环素、米诺环素及交沙霉素敏感率较高,均〉80％,罗红霉素、红霉素及环丙沙星敏感度较低,均〈20％。结论：非淋茵感染泌尿生殖道病原菌主要为CT及支原体,男性患者CT感染率高于女性患者,女性患者支原体感染率高于男性患者,病原茵对多西环素、米诺环素及交沙霉素耐药性较低,但不同地域病原茵耐药性亦存在差异,应按照实际情况进行耐药性检测,指导临床合理用药。     

Septic Gonococcal Dermatitis

The overall incidence in gonorrhoea of septic gonococcal dermatitis was found to be 1·9% (3% for the females and 0·7% for the males). In 23 patients the common presenting symptoms were arthritis or arthralgia and bouts of fever, but the characteristic skin lesions served as an early clue to the diagnosis, and Neisseria gonorrhoeae was isolated from the genitourinary tract or from the blood. With the use of immunofluorescent techniques gonococci were also found in smears prepared from the skin lesions. An immune response to gonococci was found with the complement fixation technique in 90% of the patients. The response to treatment with penicillin was prompt, with complete relief from joint pains and fever, usually within two to seven days. The skin lesions faded within a few days, but scars could be observed for up to four weeks.     

Gonococcal Tonsillar Infections

Neisseria gonorrhoeae were cultured from tonsillar swabs in six men and six women out of 161 consecutive, unselected, Danish patients (95 men and 66 women) suffering from urogenital or rectal gonorrhoea. Gonococci were found in the tonsils in only one out of 49 foreign men with gonorrhoea. Eleven of the Danish patients admitted orogenital contact at their most recent intercourse. The gonococcal complement fixation test was negative in all except two cases. Standard singledose treatment cured the urogenital and rectal infections promptly but failed to cure the tonsillar infection in five cases, and in recalcitrant cases the organisms were demonstrable for some months.     

Isolation of an Antigen of Neisseria gonorrhoeae Involved in the Human Immune Response to Gonococcal Infection

Ion-exchange chromatography was used to isolate a fraction from disrupted gonococci which reacts with sera from patients with gonococcal disease in complement-fixation and gel-diffusion tests. This antigenic fraction was shown to be the same as that previously described as having been isolated by gel filtration. The method reported here has the advantage of greater rapidity of isolation together with some improvement in purity.     

肠道病毒71型（EV71）对ICR小鼠的感染

目的研究肠道病毒71型经不同途径感染不同日龄ICR小鼠后的感染状况,了解肠道病毒71型的感染特点,为了解EV71小鼠感染机制和模型制备提供实验信息和技术支撑。方法分别通过口腔途径、颅腔途径、肌肉途径及腹腔途径感染1日龄、7日龄及3~4周龄SPF级ICR小鼠,定期安乐动物,采集各器官组织进行病原学诊断,确定EV71病毒感染情况;同时建立一步RT-PCR、病毒分离、IFA及IEA等方法。结果经腹腔途径感染成年鼠出现竖毛、弓背、消瘦症状,其他各途径感染小鼠感染后未见竖毛、弓背、觅食减少、体重减轻、精神呆滞及神经系统症状。颅腔注射3~4周龄ICR小鼠能在脑组织检测到病毒RNA,腹腔注射和肌肉注射1日龄乳鼠能在肌肉组织和肠道检测到病毒RNA,其中,肌肉组织病毒分离可检测到活病毒。本研究同时建立了分子生物学、血清学方法,为今后研究其它适合EV71的动物模型奠定了基础。结论临床分离的EV71毒株通过口腔接种、颅腔、肌肉、腹腔注射途径感染1日龄、7日龄及3~4周龄SPF级ICR小鼠的疾病程度和病毒检出不同,ICR乳鼠及成年鼠可作为该病毒感染机制、病毒体内分布等基础研究,但用作EV71动物模型应用,感染程度尚不十分理想。     

Microflocculation Assay for Gonococcal Antibody

An antigen suspension consisting of cholesterol-lecithin particles sensitized with an extract of gonococci was used in a flocculation assay for the detection of human antibodies to Neisseria gonorrhoeae. With culturally and clinically diagnosed cases of uncomplicated gonorrhea, sera from 70 (49.6%) of 141 males and 207 (79.0%) of 262 females were reactive in the assay. Sera from four (7.3%) of 55 males and 11 (5.4%) of 203 females, all presumed normal, were reactive. The assay utilized equipment available in most clinical and public health laboratories.     

Gonococcal Antibiotic Resistance in Los Angeles

One hundred and thirty-five gonococcal isolates collected from Los Angeles in 1972 were studied for antibiotic susceptibility to penicillin, ampicillin, carbenicillin, tetracycline, minocycline, doxycycline and spectinomycin. Only 12 percent of the isolates were sensitive to 0.05 μg per ml of penicillin while 35 percent required at least 0.5 μg per ml for inhibition of growth. The results were slightly better with ampicillin and nearly the same with carbenicillin. Nineteen percent of the isolates required at least 1.0 μg per ml of tetracycline for inhibition of growth and the results were similar with either minocycline or doxycycline. Forty-nine percent were sensitive to 2.0 μg per ml spectinomycin, but 37 percent required at least 8.0 μg per ml for inhibition of growth.In this study nine of eleven isolates resistant to 1.0 μg per ml of tetracycline were also resistant to both penicillin and spectinomycin. Six came from endocervical sites of female patients who contributed only 37 percent of the total number of isolates studied.Correlation between the agar dilution and disc diffusion methods was satisfactory with penicillin but not with ether tetracycline or spectinomycin.