title: Antimicrobial resistance in clinical isolates of Neisseria subflava from the oral cavities of a Japanese population.
abstract: A recent study indicated that Neisseria subflava, one of the commensal Neisseria species, may play an important role in the emergence of Neisseria gonorrhoeae strains with chromosomally mediated resistance to penicillin or cephalosporin by the horizontal genetic exchange of penA genes encoding the target site for penicillin or cephalosporin. The present investigation examined the antimicrobial susceptibility of 45 isolates of N. subflava from the oral cavities of Japanese men and women to various agents used for the treatment of gonococcal infections. Of the 45 isolates, 40 (88.9%) and 4 (8.8%) were intermediately resistant and resistant to penicillin, respectively, with the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC)(50) and MIC(90) of penicillin being 0.5 mg/l and 1 mg/l, respectively. Of the 45 isolates, 13 (28.9%) and 14 (31.1%) were resistant to tetracycline and ciprofloxacin, respectively, and 3 (6.7%) showed reduced susceptibility to cefixime (although the susceptibility category was not determined). These results indicate that several isolates of N. subflava have acquired resistance or intermediate resistance to various antimicrobial agents, including penicillin, cephalosporin, tetracycline, and ciprofloxacin. The present study may thus confirm that N. subflava may be involved in the emergence of N. gonorrhoeae strains with either intermediate or total resistance to penicillin or cephalosporin by the horizontal genetic exchange of the penA gene.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, School of Medicine Fukuoka University, 7-45-1 Nanakuma, Jonan-ku, Fukuoka 814-0180, Japan.
authors.forename: Ryusaburo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Furuya
authors.forename: Yasuhiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Onoye
authors.forename: Akiko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kanayama
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Saika
authors.forename: Takako
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Iyoda
authors.forename: Mitsuhiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tatewaki
authors.forename: Kaoru
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Matsuzaki
authors.forename: Intetsu
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: Masatoshi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tanaka
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D020682:Cefixime / Q000494:pharmacology; D002443:Ceftriaxone / Q000494:pharmacology; D002939:Ciprofloxacin / Q000494:pharmacology; D024901:Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial; D005260:Female; D016905:Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D009055:Mouth / Q000382:microbiology*; D009343:Neisseria / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D010406:Penicillins / Q000494:pharmacology; D013752:Tetracycline / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D010406:Penicillins; D002939:Ciprofloxacin; D002443:Ceftriaxone; D020682:Cefixime; D013752:Tetracycline