scholarly journals Serum Complement Activation by C4BP-IgM Fusion Protein Can Restore Susceptibility to Antibiotics in Neisseria gonorrhoeae

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Serena Bettoni ◽  
Karolina Maziarz ◽  
M Rhia L Stone ◽  
Mark A T Blaskovich ◽  
Jan Potempa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Neisseria Gonorrhoeae ◽  
Complement Activation ◽  
Efflux Pump ◽  
Membrane Attack Complex ◽  
Chimeric Protein ◽  
Transmitted Infection ◽  
Sexually Transmitted ◽  
Binding Domains ◽  
Membrane Perturbation ◽  
New Antibiotics

Neisseria gonorrhoeae is the etiological agent of gonorrhea, the second most common bacterial sexually transmitted infection worldwide. Reproductive sequelae of gonorrhea include infertility, ectopic pregnancy and chronic pelvic pain. Most antibiotics currently in clinical use have been rendered ineffective due to the rapid spread of antimicrobial resistance among gonococci. The developmental pipeline of new antibiotics is sparse and novel therapeutic approaches are urgently needed. Previously, we utilized the ability of N. gonorrhoeae to bind the complement inhibitor C4b-binding protein (C4BP) to evade killing by human complement to design a chimeric protein that linked the two N-terminal gonococcal binding domains of C4BP with the Fc domain of IgM. The resulting molecule, C4BP-IgM, enhanced complement-mediated killing of gonococci. Here we show that C4BP-IgM induced membrane perturbation through complement deposition and membrane attack complex pore insertion facilitates the access of antibiotics to their intracellular targets. Consequently, bacteria become more susceptible to killing by antibiotics. Remarkably, C4BP-IgM restored susceptibility to azithromycin of two azithromycin-resistant clinical gonococcal strains because of overexpression of the MtrC-MtrD-MtrE efflux pump. Our data show that complement activation can potentiate activity of antibiotics and suggest a role for C4BP-IgM as an adjuvant for antibiotic treatment of drug-resistant gonorrhea.

scholarly journals Prevalence of urogenital, anal, and pharyngeal infections with Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, and Mycoplasma genitalium: a cross-sectional study in Reunion island

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Calas ◽  
N. Zemali ◽  
G. Camuset ◽  
J. Jaubert ◽  
R. Manaquin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Chlamydia Trachomatis ◽  
Neisseria Gonorrhoeae ◽  
Mycoplasma Genitalium ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Transmitted Infection ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Sexually Transmitted ◽  
Urogenital Infection ◽  
High Prevalence

Abstract Background Recommendations for sexually transmitted infection (STI) screening vary significantly across countries. This study evaluated the prevalence of urogenital and extragenital infections with Chlamydia trachomatis (CT), Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG), and Mycoplasma genitalium (MG) in patients visiting a French STI clinic in the Indian Ocean region to determine whether current STI screening practices should be updated. Methods This cross-sectional study examined all patients who visited the STI clinic between 2014 and 2015. Triplex polymerase chain reaction screening for CT, NG, and MG was performed on urine, vaginal, pharyngeal, and anal specimens (FTD Urethritis Basic Kit, Fast Track Diagnostics, Luxembourg). Results Of the 851 patients enrolled in the study, 367 were women (367/851, 43.2%) and 484 were men (484/851, 56.0%). Overall, 826 urogenital specimens (826/851, 97.1%), 606 pharyngeal specimens (606/851, 71.2%), and 127 anal specimens (127/851, 14.9%) were taken from enrolled patients. The prevalence of urogenital CT and MG was high in women ≤25 years (19/186, 10.21%; 5/186, 2.69%) and in men who have sex with women ≤30 years (16/212, 7.54%; 5/212, 2.36%). Among patients with urogenital CT infection, 13.7% (7/51) had urethritis. All patients with urogenital MG infection were asymptomatic. Men who have sex with men had a high prevalence of pharyngeal CT (2/45, 4.44%) and NG (3/44, 6.81%) and a high prevalence of anal CT (2/27, 7.41%), NG (2/27, 7.40%), and MG (1/27, 3.70%). After excluding patients with concomitant urogenital infection, extragenital infections with at least 1 of the 3 pathogens were found in 20 swabs (20/91, 21.9%) taken from 16 patients (16/81, 19.7%), all of them asymptomatic. Conclusions Routine multisite screening for CT, NG, and MG should be performed to mitigate the transmission of STIs in high-risk sexually active populations.

Solithromycin as A Potential Novel Antibiotic Against Neisseria Gonorrhoeae Resistance

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Habiburrahman ◽  
Vivian  Soetikno ◽  
Wani Riselia Sirait ◽  
Missy Savira
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Trial ◽  
Neisseria Gonorrhoeae ◽  
Wide Distribution ◽  
Phase Iii ◽  
Financial Loss ◽  
Anatomic Site ◽  
Transmitted Infection ◽  
Sexually Transmitted ◽  
Phase Iii Clinical Trials ◽  
New Treatment

Gonorrhea is one of the most often sexually transmitted infection in the world. In 2016, WHO stated the Southeast Asia region as the fourth-highest incidence rate and prevalence of gonorrhea. One of the current problems with gonorrhea is related to its emerging resistance to first-line drugs such as cephalosporins, macrolides, and fluoroquinolones. This resistance has an impact on the difficulty of finding effective antibiotics to eradicate the infection, thus risking financial loss and infertility in sexually active age patients. This literature review will discuss solithromycin, the first fluoroketolide in phase III clinical trial, and show its potential as a new antibiotic against infection with resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Literatures are searched using Pubmed and Google Scholar search engines with keywords: antibiotics, CEM-101, clinical trial, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, new treatment, pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, resistance, safety, and solithromycin. This semisynthetic antibiotic is supported by a different chemical structure from previous macrolides; improving solithromycin becomes more stable and able to bind easier with bacterial ribosomes. Pharmacologically, solithromycin provides an advantage in its high bioavailability, easy oral administration route, wide distribution, metabolism mainly in the liver, but not required dosage adjustments due to hepatic impairment, and a single dosage preparation that can increase patient compliance in healing gonorrhea infections. Also, its lower MIC50 than previous antibiotics makes it well-tolerated, therefore making this antibiotic as a potential recommendation for the management of multi-drug resistant gonorrhea in the future. Solithromycin is not inferior to the standard therapy (ceftriaxone and azithromycin), with 80% vs. 84% gonorrhea eradication rates. Per the anatomic site, the eradication rate is 92% in genital, 94% in the pharynx, and 83% in the rectum. However, special attention needs to be paid to the side effects of the gastrointestinal tract of solithromycin, as observed in phase III clinical trials at a dose of 1000 mg in the form of diarrhea (24%) and nausea (21%).

scholarly journals Epidemiology, molecular characterisation and antimicrobial susceptibility of Neisseria gonorrhoeae isolates in Madrid, Spain, in 2016

2019 ◽  
Vol 147 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. D. Guerrero-Torres ◽  
M. B. Menéndez ◽  
C. S. Guerras ◽  
E. Tello ◽  
J. Ballesteros ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Neisseria Gonorrhoeae ◽  
Antimicrobial Susceptibility ◽  
Strong Association ◽  
Clinical Samples ◽  
Transmitted Infection ◽  
Sexually Transmitted ◽  
High Incidence ◽  
Ciprofloxacin Resistance ◽  
Sequence Types ◽  
Infection Clinic

Abstract With the aim to elucidate gonococcal antimicrobial resistance (AMR)–risk factors, we undertook a retrospective analysis of the molecular epidemiology and AMR of 104 Neisseria gonorrhoeae isolates from clinical samples (urethra, rectum, pharynx and cervix) of 94 individuals attending a sexually transmitted infection clinic in Madrid (Spain) from July to October 2016, and explored potential links with socio-demographic, behavioural and clinical factors of patients. Antimicrobial susceptibility was determined by E-tests, and isolates were characterised by N. gonorrhoeae multi-antigen sequence typing. Penicillin resistance was recorded for 15.4% of isolates, and most were susceptible to tetracycline, cefixime and azithromycin; a high incidence of ciprofloxacin resistance (~40%) was found. Isolates were grouped into 51 different sequence types (STs) and 10 genogroups (G), with G2400, ST5441, ST2318, ST12547 and G2992 being the most prevalent. A significant association (P = 0.015) was evident between HIV-positive MSM individuals and having a ciprofloxacin-resistant strain. Likewise, a strong association (P = 0.047) was found between patient age of MSM and carriage of isolates expressing decreased susceptibility to azithromycin. A decrease in the incidence of AMR gonococcal strains and a change in the strain populations previously reported from other parts of Spain were observed. Of note, the prevalent multi-drug resistant genogroup G1407 was represented by only three strains in our study, while the pan-susceptible clones such as ST5441, and ST2318, associated with extragenital body sites were the most prevalent.

scholarly journals Cryo-EM Structures of a Gonococcal Multidrug Efflux Pump Illuminate a Mechanism of Drug Recognition and Resistance

mBio ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Meinan Lyu ◽  
Mitchell A. Moseng ◽  
Jennifer L. Reimche ◽  
Concerta L. Holley ◽  
Vijaya Dhulipala ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Drug Resistance ◽  
Neisseria Gonorrhoeae ◽  
Antimicrobial Agents ◽  
Efflux Pump ◽  
Multidrug Efflux ◽  
Multidrug Efflux Pump ◽  
Transmitted Infection ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Cryo Electron Microscopy

ABSTRACT Neisseria gonorrhoeae is an obligate human pathogen and causative agent of the sexually transmitted infection (STI) gonorrhea. The most predominant and clinically important multidrug efflux system in N. gonorrhoeae is the multiple transferrable resistance (Mtr) pump, which mediates resistance to a number of different classes of structurally diverse antimicrobial agents, including clinically used antibiotics (e.g., β-lactams and macrolides), dyes, detergents and host-derived antimicrobials (e.g., cationic antimicrobial peptides and bile salts). Recently, it has been found that gonococci bearing mosaic-like sequences within the mtrD gene can result in amino acid changes that increase the MtrD multidrug efflux pump activity, probably by influencing antimicrobial recognition and/or extrusion to elevate the level of antibiotic resistance. Here, we report drug-bound solution structures of the MtrD multidrug efflux pump carrying a mosaic-like sequence using single-particle cryo-electron microscopy, with the antibiotics bound deeply inside the periplasmic domain of the pump. Through this structural approach coupled with genetic studies, we identify critical amino acids that are important for drug resistance and propose a mechanism for proton translocation. IMPORTANCE Neisseria gonorrhoeae has become a highly antimicrobial-resistant Gram-negative pathogen. Multidrug efflux is a major mechanism that N. gonorrhoeae uses to counteract the action of multiple classes of antibiotics. It appears that gonococci bearing mosaic-like sequences within the gene mtrD, encoding the most predominant and clinically important transporter of any gonococcal multidrug efflux pump, significantly elevate drug resistance and enhance transport function. Here, we report cryo-electron microscopy (EM) structures of N. gonorrhoeae MtrD carrying a mosaic-like sequence that allow us to understand the mechanism of drug recognition. Our work will ultimately inform structure-guided drug design for inhibiting these critical multidrug efflux pumps.

scholarly journals Transcriptomic Data Sets To Determine Gene Expression Changes Mediated by the Presence of PBT2 in Growth Medium of Multidrug-Resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae WHO Z

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (21) ◽  
Author(s):  
Freda E.-C. Jen ◽  
Ibrahim M. El-Deeb ◽  
John M. Atack ◽  
Mark von Itzstein ◽  
Michael P. Jennings
Keyword(s):  
Neisseria Gonorrhoeae ◽  
Transcriptome Sequencing ◽  
Multidrug Resistant ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Sequencing Data ◽  
Transmitted Infection ◽  
High Coverage ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sexually Transmitted ◽  
Transcriptomic Data

ABSTRACT Neisseria gonorrhoeae causes the sexually transmitted infection gonorrhea. High-coverage (∼3,300-fold) transcriptome sequencing data have been collected from multidrug-resistant N. gonorrhoeae strain WHO Z grown in the presence and absence of PBT2.

Detection of male genital infection with Chlamydia trachom atis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae using an automated multiplex PCR system (Cobas AmplicorTM)

1998 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-24 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen P Higgins ◽  
Paul E Klapper ◽  
J Keith Struthers ◽  
Andrew S Bailey ◽  
Alison P Gough ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Neisseria Gonorrhoeae ◽  
Dot Blot ◽  
Chain Reaction ◽  
Transmitted Infection ◽  
Sexually Transmitted ◽  
Primary Care Settings ◽  
Highly Sensitive ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Polymerase Chain ◽  
Male Genital

Summary: We evaluated Cobas AmplicorTM, a highly automated polymerase chain reaction (PCR) system, to test first-void urine (FVU) and urethral swab specimens for Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae in men attending a sexually transmitted infection (STI) clinic. Results were compared against an inhouse radioimmune dot blot (DB) test for C. trachomatis and selective culture for N. gonorrhoeae . Three hundred and ninety sets of specimens were obtained from 378 consecutive new and returned-new patients. Gonorrhoea prevalence was 9.49%, with no significant difference in sensitivity or specificity between culture and PCR. Chlamydia prevalence was 15.4%, with sensitivities of: DB 55%, PCR of FVU 86.7%, urethral swab PCR 90%. The specificity of PCR on FVU and urethral swabs was 100%. We have shown that Cobas AmplicorTM PCR is highly sensitive and specific in the diagnosis of chlamydia and gonorrhoea in men attending an STI clinic. Further economic and scientific studies are needed to determine the costeffectiveness of this technique for screening in primary care settings.

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