Serologic groups of Neisseria gonorrhoeae recovered from patients in Nashville, Tennessee, 1971--1976.
The objective of this study was to develop and apply a serologic method for identification of different strains of Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Several procedures for preparation of cell-free extracts were tried; the most satisfactory was that with phosphate-buffered saline solution. Both capillary tube and immunodiffusion precipitin techniques were evaluated, and the latter proved preferable. Serologic grouping was attempted for 704 strains of N. gonorrhoeae isolated during 1971--1976. Groupable strains shifted from a predominance of group A to a predominance of group B strains. The percentages of isolates of groups C and D increased, and group E appeared occasionally. Nongroupable strains were much more common after 1973. Four of six strains that were etiologic for recrudescent gonococcal urethritis belonged to the same serogroup that had caused the initial infection; two of six were different. The partners in nine male and female sexual pairs were infected by the same serogroups, four pairs by nongroupable strains, and the partners of five pairs harbored differed serogroups. The immunodiffusion technique described should be useful in clinical and epidemiologic studies of gonorrhea. The antigenic material was shown to be a high-molecular-weight polysaccharide.
D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006069:Gonorrhea / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000635:transmission; D006801:Humans; D005779:Immunodiffusion; D008297:Male; D009344:Neisseria gonorrhoeae / Q000145:classification*; D011233:Precipitin Tests; D014526:Urethritis / Q000209:etiology
D000942:Antigens, Bacterial