scholarly journals Febrile Polyarthritis: Should We Think About Disseminated Gonococcal Infection

Author(s):  
Mariem Ghribi ◽  
Sameh Marzouk ◽  
Abir Derbel ◽  
Mouna Snoussi ◽  
Zouhir Bahloul

Gonococcal disease is a sexually transmitted infection. The responsible agent is Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Disseminated gonococcal infection results from blood dissemination of N. gonorrhoeae from its mucosal first site of infection. In our cases, two patients had systematic lupus erythematous, in which one patient developed a dermetitis-arthritis syndrome and the other patient developed a febrile polyarthritis. The third patient was a healthy female who developed a dermetitis-arthritis syndrome. The treatment consisted of intravenous antibiotic and immobilization. The evolution was favorable in all of our cases.

2020 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 92-99 ◽  
Author(s):  
RJ Caswell ◽  
K Manavi

Human T-lymphotropic virus-1 is a preventable sexually transmitted infection. In the majority of people it is asymptomatic, remaining undiagnosed and thereby contributing to its silent transmission. When it does manifest it causes significant morbidity and mortality. This review summarises the existing evidence for its role in sexual transmission and offers suggestions for those working in the area of sexual health. This is the third part of a series looking at novel sexually transmitted infections.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Linda I. Hu ◽  
Shaohui Yin ◽  
Egon A. Ozer ◽  
Lee Sewell ◽  
Saima Rehman ◽  
...  

AbstractNeisseria gonorrhoeae rely on Type IV pili (T4p) to promote colonization of their human host and to cause the sexually transmitted infection, gonorrhea. This organelle cycles through a process of extension and retraction back into the bacterial cell. Through a genetic screen, we identified the NGO0783 locus of N. gonorrhoeae strain FA1090 as containing a gene encoding a protein required to stabilize the Type IV pilus in its extended, non-retracted conformation. We have named the gene tfpC and the protein TfpC. Deletion of tfpC produces a nonpiliated colony morphology and immuno-transmission electron microscopy confirms that the pili are lost in the ΔtfpC mutant, although there is some pilin detected near the bacterial cell surface. A copy of the tfpC gene expressed from a lac promoter restores pilus expression and related phenotypes. A ΔtfpC mutant shows reduced levels of pilin protein, but complementation with a tfpC gene restored pilin to normal levels. Bioinformatic searches show there are orthologues in numerous bacteria species but not all Type IV pilin expressing bacteria contain orthologous genes. Co-evolution and NMR analysis indicates that TfpC contains an N-terminal transmembrane helix, a substantial extended/unstructured region and a highly charge C-terminal coiled-coil domain.ImportanceMost bacterial species express one or more extracellular organelles called pili/fimbriae that are required for many properties of each bacterial cell. The Neisseria gonorrhoeae Type IV pilus is a major virulence and colonization factor for the sexually transmitted infection, gonorrhea. We have discovered a new protein of Neisseria gonorrhoeae called TfpC that is required to maintain the Type IV pili on the bacterial cell surface. There are similar proteins found in the other members of the Neisseria genus and many other bacterial species important for human health.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Addisu Sahile ◽  
Lule Teshager ◽  
Minale Fekadie ◽  
Mulatu Gashaw

Background. In most African countries including Ethiopia, Neisseria gonorrhoeae infections were diagnosed clinically and its antibiotic susceptibility was rarely tested. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of N. gonorrhoeae among suspected patients attending private clinics in Jimma, Ethiopia. Methods. Institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the prevalence and antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of N. gonorrhoeae isolated from urogenital specimens. Urogenital samples were collected aseptically and then transported using Amie’s transport media and processed in a microbiology laboratory following the standard protocol. Results. Of the total 315 samples examined, 31 (9.8%) were confirmed to have gonococcal infection. Of these, 30 (96.7%) were females. High proportion of culture confirmed cases (18 (12.5%)) were observed in the 20–24 age group. All of the identified organisms were susceptible to ceftriaxone and had high resistance to penicillin (80.6%) and tetracycline (54.8%). Conclusion. The prevalence of gonococcal infection is high. In the current study, participants who have no information about sexually transmitted infection were more likely to be infected by N. gonorrhoeae. According to our study, ciprofloxacin is effective against gonococcal infection.


2018 ◽  
Vol 31 (5) ◽  
pp. 247 ◽  
Author(s):  
Margarida Moura Valejo Coelho ◽  
Eugénia Matos-Pires ◽  
Vasco Serrão ◽  
Ana Rodrigues ◽  
Cândida Fernandes

Introduction: Recent studies worldwide reveal a significant prevalence of extragenital infections by Neisseria gonorrhoeae among men who have sex with men. We aimed to analyse the frequency and characteristics of extragenital gonococcal infections diagnosed in men who have sex with men in a walk-in Sexually Transmitted Infection clinic in Lisbon, Portugal.Material and Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional, retrospective study of the anorectal and/or oropharyngeal Neisseria gonorrhoeae infections in men who have sex with men, diagnosed in our Sexually Transmitted Infection clinic between January 2014 and December 2016.Results: We found extragenital infection in 87 cases of gonorrhoea identified in men who have sex with men in this period, including: 49 cases of anorectal disease, 9 of oropharyngeal disease, 13 cases of infection at both extragenital sites, and 16 of simultaneous extragenital and urogenital gonorrhoea. Patients’ ages ranged from 17 to 64 years (median: 28 years). Forty-seven (54%) of the patients did not present with any extragenital symptoms. Thirty (35%) were human immunodeficiency virus-1-positive.Discussion: Since most extragenital Neisseria gonorrhoeae infections are asymptomatic, they may be missed and go untreated unless actively investigated. Current international guidelines recommend the screening of gonorrhoea at extragenital sites in men who have sex with men because anorectal and oropharyngeal infections constitute a potential disease reservoir, and may facilitate transmission and/or acquisition of human immunodeficiency virus infection.Conclusion: Our results highlight the relevance of testing men who have sex with men for Neisseria gonorrhoeae at extragenital sites, regardless of the existence of local complaints. The implementation of adequate screening programmes in Portugal should be considered. We also reinforce the need to raise awareness in the population regarding the adoption of prophylactic measures against transmission of sexually transmitted infections during anal and/or oral sexual exposure.


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