Serovar specific immunity to Neisseria gonorrhoeae: does it exist?
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether the host immune response to gonorrhoea provides limited serovar specific protection from reinfection.


METHODS
508 episodes of gonorrhoea diagnosed at a city centre genitourinary medicine clinic including 22 patients with multiple infections over a 4 year period.


METHODS
Patients with recurrent gonococcal infection were analysed with respect to the initial and subsequent serovars isolated.


RESULTS
No significant difference was seen in the prevalence of serovars isolated following a repeat infection compared with those without repeat infections. The site of the initial infection did not appear to influence the subsequent serovar isolated.


CONCLUSIONS
We found no evidence of serovar specific immunity in our population. It remains possible that populations with a higher prevalence of gonorrhoea and more frequent infections may have a quantitatively greater immune response.
Ross
J D
JD
Department of Genitourinary Medicine, Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.
Moyes
A
A
Young
H
H
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000096:biosynthesis; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D005260:Female; D006069:Gonorrhea / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009344:Neisseria gonorrhoeae / Q000145:classification / Q000276:immunology*; D012008:Recurrence; D012703:Serotyping; D012725:Sexual Behavior
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial