scholarly journals Multiresistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae: a new threat in second decade of the XXI century

2019 ◽  
Vol 209 (2) ◽  
pp. 95-108 ◽  
Author(s):  
Beata Młynarczyk-Bonikowska ◽  
Anna Majewska ◽  
Magdalena Malejczyk ◽  
Grażyna Młynarczyk ◽  
Sławomir Majewski

AbstractNeisseria gonorrhoeae is an etiologic agent of gonorrhoea, one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases caused by bacteria. For many years, infections caused by N. gonorrhoeae were considered to be relatively easy to treat; however, resistance has emerged successively to all therapeutic agents used in treatment of the disease, e.g., penicillin, ciprofloxacin or azithromycin. Currently, the global problem is the emergence and a threat of spread of N. gonorrhoeae strains resistant to extended-spectrum cephalosporins (ESC), such as injectable ceftriaxone and oral-used cefixime. Especially, dangerous are multi-resistant strains resistant simultaneously to ESC and azithromycin. Three strains with high-level resistance to azithromycin and resistant to ESC were first time isolated in 2018. Moreover, in 2018, the first ESBL was described in N. gonorrhoeae and that makes the threat of appearing the ESBL mechanism of resistance in N. gonorrhoeae more real, even though the strain was sensitive to ceftriaxone. Molecular typing revealed that variants resistant to ESC occurred also among strains belonging to epidemic clonal complex CC1 (genogroup G1407) distinguished in NG-MAST typing system. The G1407 genogroup, in particular the ST1407 sequence type, is currently dominant in most European countries. The presence of different mechanisms of drug resistance significantly affects clinical practice and force changes in treatment regimens and introduction of new drugs.

Antibiotics ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 58 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ranmini Kularatne ◽  
Venessa Maseko ◽  
Lindy Gumede ◽  
Tendesayi Kufa

Background: In South Africa, sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are managed through a syndromic approach at primary healthcare centres (PHCs). Neisseria gonorrhoeae is the predominant cause of male urethritis syndrome. We describe antimicrobial resistance patterns and trends in Neisseria gonorrhoeae during a ten-year surveillance period at a large PHC in Johannesburg. Methods: Neisseria gonorrhoeae was cultured from genital discharge swab specimens obtained from consenting adult patients presenting at the Alexandra Health Centre in Johannesburg between 2008 and 2017. Isolates were tested for antimicrobial susceptibility by Etest™ (cefixime, ceftriaxone, ciprofloxacin) or agar dilution (penicillin, tetracycline, azithromycin). Results: During the period of surveillance, high-level resistance prevalence increased from 30% to 51% for penicillin (p-value for trend < 0.001), 75% to 83% for tetracycline (p-value for trend = 0.008), and 25% to 69% for ciprofloxacin (p-value for trend < 0.001). Analysis did not reveal high-level resistance to spectinomycin or a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) creep for extended-spectrum cephalosporins, and the prevalence of intermediate-resistance to azithromycin was less than 5%. Conclusions: High prevalence resistance to penicillin, tetracycline, and ciprofloxacin in N. gonorrhoeae obviates their use in future national treatment algorithms for genital discharge. It is essential to continue monitoring for emerging resistance to currently recommended antimicrobial therapy in this rapidly evolving pathogen.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xi Chen ◽  
Yuanyuan Li ◽  
Bin Wang ◽  
Yu Lu

AbSTRACTMacozinone is identified as a drug candidate and is currently under clinical development for the treatment of tuberculosis, but the mutations conferring resistance to Macozinone remain inadequately characterized. Herein, we investigated the Macozinone -resistance -associated mutations through selecting resistant isolates in vitro. Macozinone-resistant isolates were obtained through induction in vitro. The level of Macozinone -resistant strains was confirmed by MABA test. PCR sequencing analysis was carried out on dprE1 gene. Whole Genome Sequencing was performed to identify mutations associated with Macozinone -resistance. The totals of isolates obtained at Macozinone concentrations of 6.4ng/ml, 25.6ng/ml, 50ng/ml and 100ng/ml were 49, 20, 20 and 4 respectively. Among the 49 strains obtained by 6.4ng/ml Macozinone only one strain had C387S mutation in dprE1. C387S is only occurred in high-level resistant isolates (MIC > 500ng/ml). Meanwhile high-level resistance to Macozinone can occur in strains induced at 6.4ng/ml and the frequency of occurrence is low (1/49, 2.04%). The MIC90 of other strains except the strains carrying C387S mutation is at the same level (11.5ng/ml > MIC90 > 2ng/ml). The G61A or G248A mutations in dprE1 was discovered for the first time. Other gene mutations (rv0678, rrs, mbtF, rv2956, et al) were found in low-level resistant strains.ConclusionsHigh-level resistant isolates can be produced at low concentration of Macozinone. C387S mutation in dprE1 is directly related to high-level resistance. There may be new mechanisms involved in Macozinone-resistance independent of dprE1 mutations.


2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (28) ◽  
pp. 2554-2566 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aurelio Ortiz ◽  
Estibaliz Sansinenea

Background:: Candida species are in various parts of the human body as commensals. However, they can cause local mucosal infections and, sometimes, systemic infections in which Candida species can spread to all major organs and colonize them. Objective:: For the effective treatment of the mucosal infections and systemic life-threatening fungal diseases, a considerably large number of antifungal drugs have been developed and used for clinical purposes that comprise agents from four main drug classes: the polyenes, azoles, echinocandins, and antimetabolites. Method: : The synthesis of some of these drugs is available, allowing synthetic modification of the molecules to improve the biological activity against Candida species. The synthetic methodology for each compound is reviewed. Results: : The use of these compounds has caused a high-level resistance against these drugs, and therefore, new antifungal substances have been described in the last years. The organic synthesis of the known and new compounds is reported. Conclusion: : This article summarizes the chemistry of the existing agents, both the old drugs and new drugs, in the treatment of infections due to C. albicans, including the synthesis of the existing drugs.


Author(s):  
J G E Laumen ◽  
S S Manoharan-Basil ◽  
E Verhoeven ◽  
S Abdellati ◽  
I De Baetselier ◽  
...  

Abstract Background The prevalence of azithromycin resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae is increasing in numerous populations worldwide. Objectives To characterize the genetic pathways leading to high-level azithromycin resistance. Methods A customized morbidostat was used to subject two N. gonorrhoeae reference strains (WHO-F and WHO-X) to dynamically sustained azithromycin pressure. We tracked stepwise evolution of resistance by whole genome sequencing. Results Within 26 days, all cultures evolved high-level azithromycin resistance. Typically, the first step towards resistance was found in transitory mutations in genes rplD, rplV and rpmH (encoding the ribosomal proteins L4, L22 and L34 respectively), followed by mutations in the MtrCDE-encoded efflux pump and the 23S rRNA gene. Low- to high-level resistance was associated with mutations in the ribosomal proteins and MtrCDE efflux pump. However, high-level resistance was consistently associated with mutations in the 23S ribosomal RNA, mainly the well-known A2059G and C2611T mutations, but also at position A2058G. Conclusions This study enabled us to track previously reported mutations and identify novel mutations in ribosomal proteins (L4, L22 and L34) that may play a role in the genesis of azithromycin resistance in N. gonorrhoeae.


Author(s):  
Saeed Sharifi ◽  
Bita Bakhshi ◽  
Shahin Najar-peerayeh

Abstract Background Campylobacter resistance to antimicrobial agents is regarded as a major concern worldwide. The aim of this study was to investigate the expression of the CmeABC efflux pump and the RAPD-PCR pattern in drug-resistant Campylobacter isolates. Methods A total of 283 stool specimens were collected from children under the age of five with diarrhea. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of tetracycline and ciprofloxacin was determined by broth microdilution method and E-test, respectively. Detection of tetracycline and ciprofloxacin determinants was done by amplification of tetO gene and PCR-sequencing of the gyrA gene. The cmeABC transcriptional expression was analyzed by Real-time (RT)-PCR. Clonal correlation of resistant strains was determined by RAPD-PCR genotyping. Results Out of 283 fecal samples, 20 (7.02%) samples were positive for Campylobacter spp. Analysis of duplex PCR assay of the cadF gene showed that 737 and 461 bp amplicons were corresponding to Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli, respectively. All of the 17 phenotypically tetracycline-resistant Campylobacter isolates harbored the tetO gene. Also, four phenotypically ciprofloxacin-resistant Campylobacter isolates had a point mutation at codon 257 of the gyrA gene (ACA to ATA; Thr > Ile). High-level expression of the cmeA gene was observed in ciprofloxacin-resistant and high-level tetracycline-resistant Campylobacter isolates, suggesting a positive correlation between the cmeA gene expression level and tetracycline resistance level. Moreover, a statistically significant difference was observed in the cmeA gene expression between ciprofloxacin-resistant and ciprofloxacin-susceptible strains, which signifies the crucial contribution of the efflux pump in conferring multiple drug resistance phenotype among Campylobacter spp. RAPD analysis of Campylobacter isolates exhibited 16 different patterns. Simpsone`s diversity index of RAPD-PCR was calculated as 0.85, showing a high level of homogeneity among the population; however, no clear correlation was detected among tetracycline and/or ciprofloxacin resistant isolates. Conclusion Significant contribution of the CmeABC efflux pump in conferring high-level resistance to tetracycline and ciprofloxacin was observed in C. jejuni and C. coli clinical isolates. The resistant phenotype is suggested to be mediated by CmeABC efflux pumps, the tetO gene, and point mutation of the gyrA gene. Genotyping revealed no clonal correlation among resistant strains, indicating distinct evolution of tetracycline and ciprofloxacin resistant genotypes among the isolates.


2002 ◽  
Vol 184 (20) ◽  
pp. 5619-5624 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wendy L. Veal ◽  
Robert A. Nicholas ◽  
William M. Shafer

ABSTRACT The importance of the mtrCDE-encoded efflux pump in conferring chromosomally mediated penicillin resistance on certain strains of Neisseria gonorrhoeae was determined by using genetic derivatives of penicillin-sensitive strain FA19 bearing defined mutations (mtrR, penA, and penB) donated by a clinical isolate (FA6140) expressing high-level resistance to penicillin and antimicrobial hydrophobic agents (HAs). When introduced into strain FA19 by transformation, a single base pair deletion in the mtrR promoter sequence from strain FA6140 was sufficient to provide high-level resistance to HAs (e.g., erythromycin and Triton X-100) but only a twofold increase in resistance to penicillin. When subsequent mutations in penA and porIB were introduced from strain FA6140 into strain WV30 (FA19 mtrR) by transformation, resistance to penicillin increased incrementally up to a MIC of 1.0 μg/ml. Insertional inactivation of the gene (mtrD) encoding the membrane transporter component of the Mtr efflux pump in these transformant strains and in strain FA6140 decreased the MIC of penicillin by 16-fold. Genetic analyses revealed that mtrR mutations, such as the single base pair deletion in its promoter, are needed for phenotypic expression of penicillin and tetracycline resistance afforded by the penB mutation. As penB represents amino acid substitutions within the third loop of the outer membrane PorIB protein that modulate entry of penicillin and tetracycline, the results presented herein suggest that PorIB and the MtrC-MtrD-MtrE efflux pump act synergistically to confer resistance to these antibiotics.


2008 ◽  
Vol 13 (15) ◽  
Author(s):  
S A Chisholm ◽  
C Ison

The Gonococcal Resistance to Antimicrobials Surveillance Programme (GRASP) in England and Wales has monitored azithromycin resistance since 2001. In 2007, high-level azithromycin resistance (MICs >256 mg/L) was identified for the first time in six isolates, all of which were the same sequence type (ST 649).


2007 ◽  
Vol 75 (10) ◽  
pp. 4743-4753 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dustin L. Higashi ◽  
Shaun W. Lee ◽  
Aurelie Snyder ◽  
Nathan J. Weyand ◽  
Antony Bakke ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Neisseria gonorrhoeae is the bacterium that causes gonorrhea, a major sexually transmitted disease and a significant cofactor for human immunodeficiency virus transmission. The retactile N. gonorrhoeae type IV pilus (Tfp) mediates twitching motility and attachment. Using live-cell microscopy, we reveal for the first time the dynamics of twitching motility by N. gonorrhoeae in its natural environment, human epithelial cells. Bacteria aggregate into microcolonies on the cell surface and induce a massive remodeling of the microvillus architecture. Surprisingly, the microcolonies are motile, and they fuse to form progressively larger structures that undergo rapid reorganization, suggesting that bacteria communicate with each other during infection. As reported, actin plaques form beneath microcolonies. Here, we show that cortical plaques comigrate with motile microcolonies. These activities are dependent on pilT, the Tfp retraction locus. Cultures infected with a pilT mutant have significantly higher numbers of apoptotic cells than cultures infected with the wild-type strain. Inducing pilT expression with isopropyl-β-d-thiogalactopyranoside partially rescues cells from infection-induced apoptosis, demonstrating that Tfp retraction is intrinsically cytoprotective for the host. Tfp-mediated attachment is therefore a continuum of microcolony motility and force stimulation of host cell signaling, leading to a cytoprotective effect.


Author(s):  
P Salmerón ◽  
A Moreno-Mingorance ◽  
J Trejo ◽  
R Amado ◽  
B Viñado ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG) isolates with high-level azithromycin resistance (HL-AziR) have emerged worldwide in recent decades, threatening the sustainability of current dual-antimicrobial therapy. Objectives This study aimed to characterize the first 16 NG isolates with HL-AziR in Barcelona between 2016 and 2018. Methods WGS was used to identify the mechanisms of antimicrobial resistance, to establish the MLST ST, NG multiantigen sequence typing (NG-MAST) ST and NG sequence typing for antimicrobial resistance (NG-STAR) ST and to identify the clonal relatedness of the isolates with other closely related NG previously described in other countries based on a whole-genome SNP analysis approach. The sociodemographic characteristics of the patients included in the study were collected by comprehensive review of their medical records. Results Twelve out of 16 HL-AziR isolates belonged to the MLST ST7823/NG-MAST ST5309 genotype and 4 to MLST ST9363/NG-MAST ST3935. All presented the A2059G mutation in all four alleles of the 23S rRNA gene. MLST ST7823/NG-MAST ST5309 isolates were only identified in men who have sex with women and MLST ST9363/NG-MAST ST3935 were found in MSM. Phylogenomic analysis revealed the presence of three transmission clusters of three different NG strains independently associated with sexual behaviour. Conclusions Our findings support the first appearance of three mild outbreaks of NG with HL-AziR in Spain. These results highlight the continuous capacity of NG to develop antimicrobial resistance and spread among sexual networks. The enhanced resolution of WGS provides valuable information for outbreak investigation, complementing the implementation of public health measures focused on the prevention and dissemination of MDR NG.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document