Korean J Dermatol.  1992 Dec;30(6):776-786.

The sensitivity of N. gonorrhoeae to several antibodies

• So SN
• Kim JH
• Kim YT

Abstract

Decreased sensitivity of N. gonorrhoeae to many existing antibiotics and the emergence and increase of penicillinase producing and of spectinomycin resistant N. gonorrhoeae necessitate intensive efforts to study on resistance. Male patients with uncomplicated gonococcal urethritis treated during the year 1990 at the VD clinic of Choong-ku Public Health Center in Seoul were included in this study. A total of 85 strains, 44 strains of non-PPNG and 41 strains of PPNG isolated from the patients were studied to evaluate their sensitivities to ampicillin, penicillin, cefoxitin, kanamycin, tetracycline, erythromycin, spectinomycin and cotrimazole. The results are summerized as follw: In non-PPNG strains, the range of MICs. MIC50 and MIC90 for both ampicillin and penicillin were 0.125-32, 2 and 16 mcg/ml respectively. For cefoxitin, they were 0.125-8, s and 16 mcg/ml respectively, and for kanamycin, 8--<64, 32 and 64 mcg/ml, respectively. For tetracycline, they were 1-64, 8 and 32 mcg/ml, while for erythromycin, 0.06-16, 2 and 8 mcg/ml respectively. For spectinomycin, they were 4--<64, 32 and 64 mcg/ml and for cotrimazole, 5--<160, 40 and 160 mcg/ml respectively. In the case of PPNG, the range of MICS, MIC50 and MIC90 for ampicillin were 8--<128, 32 and 128 mcg/ml respectively but for penicillin, 8--<128, 64 and 128 mcg/ml respectively. And for cefoxitin, they were 0.5-32, 4 and 16 mcg/ml while for kanamycin, 16--<64, 64 and >64 mcg/ml respectively. For tetracycline, the values were 2-64, 16 and 32 mcg/ml, and for erythromycin, they were 0.5-16, 4 and 8 mcg/ml respectively. for spectinomycin, they were 8--<64, 32, and 64 mcg/ml and finally for cotrimazole, 5--<160, 80 and 160 mcg/ml respectively. From these results, it is concluded that the MICs of both PPNG and non-PPNG were about 2 folds higher than the results of sensitivity tests at the same instituition in 1985. 2) The prevalence of PPNG among 35 gonorrhoeae patients who received treatment before the visit was 60% (21/35), while that among the patients without previous treatment was 40% (20/50). 3) In the cases of ampicillin, penicillin and cotrimazole, their MIC values were found to be significantly higher for the strains isolated from the patients with previous treatment history than those without previous treatment (p<0.05). 4) In non-PPNG strains, a significant positive correlation is found between the sensitivities to most pairs of ampicillin, penicillin, cefoxitin, kanamycin, tetracycline, erythromycin and spectinomycin. However this excludes some pairs such as : tetracycline-cefoxitin, erythromycin-penicillin, erythromycin-cefoxitin, spectinomycin-penicillin, and spectinomycincefoxitin (p<0.05). 5) In PPNG strains, a significant positive correlation is also found between the sensitivities to most pairs of ampicillin, penicillin, cefoxitin, tetracycline, erythromycin and spectinomycin. However, the exceptional cases include tetracycline-cefoxitin, erythromyoinpenicillin, erythromycin-cefoxitin, spectinomycin-penicillin, and spectinomycin-cefoxitin pairs. In addition, the sensitivity to kanamycin was found to be strongly correlated with that to tetracycline, erytheromycin and spectinomycin (p<0.05). Therefore it is essential for the management fo gonorrhoeae, together with a correct diagnosis, to use currently most effective treatment regimens which would also prevent the emergence of resistant strains. It is also suggested that when a treatment is failed, to use the durg which do not show correlation in sensitivities on re-treatment.

MeSH Terms

Ampicillin
Anti-Bacterial Agents
Antibodies*
Cefoxitin
Diagnosis
Erythromycin
Humans
Kanamycin
Male
Penicillinase
Penicillins
Prevalence
Public Health
Seoul
Spectinomycin
Tetracycline
Urethritis
Ampicillin
Anti-Bacterial Agents
Antibodies
Cefoxitin
Erythromycin
Kanamycin
Penicillinase
Penicillins
Spectinomycin
Tetracycline