title: Molecular epidemiology of drug-resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae in Russia (Current Status, 2015).
abstract: The widespread distribution of Neisseria gonorrhoeae strains that are resistant to previously used and clinically implemented antibiotics is a significant global public health problem. In line with WHO standards, the national Gonococcal Antimicrobial Surveillance Programme (RU-GASP) has been in existence in Russia since 2004; herein, the current status (2015) is described, including associations between N. gonorrhoeae antimicrobial susceptibility, primary genetic resistance determinants and specific strain sequence types.
  
  
  
  A total of 124 N. gonorrhoeae strains obtained from 9 regions in Russia in 2015 were examined using N. gonorrhoeae Multi-Antigen Sequence Typing (NG-MAST), an antimicrobial susceptibility test according to European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (EUCAST) criteria and an oligonucleotide microarray for the identification of mutations in the penA, ponA, rpsJ, gyrA and parC genes responsible for penicillin G, tetracycline, and fluoroquinolone resistance. Genogroup (G) isolates were evaluated based on their porB and tbpB sequence types (STs).
  
  
  
  NG-MAST analysis showed a diversified population of N. gonorrhoeae in Russia with 58 sequence types, 35 of which were described for the first time. The STs 807, 1544, 1993, 5714, 9476 and 12531, which were typical for some Russian Federation regions and several countries of the former Soviet Union, were represented by five or more isolates. The internationally widespread ST 1407 was represented by a single strain in the present study. Division into genogroups facilitated an exploration of the associations between N. gonorrhoeae sequence type, antimicrobial resistance spectra and genetic resistance determinant contents. Preliminarily susceptible (G-807, G-12531) and resistant (G-5714, G-9476) genogroups were revealed. The variability in the most frequently observed STs and genogroups in each participating region indicated geographically restricted antimicrobial susceptibility in N. gonorrhoeae populations.
  
  
  
  Resistance or intermediate susceptibility to previously recommended antimicrobials, such as penicillin G (60.5 %), ciprofloxacin (41.1 %) and tetracycline (25 %), is common in the N. gonorrhoeae population. Based on previous reports and current data, ceftriaxone and spectinomycin should be recommended for first-line empiric antimicrobial monotherapy for gonorrhoea in Russia.
authors: State Research Center of Dermatovenerology and Cosmetology, Korolenko str. 3/1, Moscow, 107076, Russia.
authors: Alexey
authors: A
authors: Kubanov
authors: State Research Center of Dermatovenerology and Cosmetology, Korolenko str. 3/1, Moscow, 107076, Russia.
authors: Denis
authors: D
authors: Vorobyev
authors: State Research Center of Dermatovenerology and Cosmetology, Korolenko str. 3/1, Moscow, 107076, Russia.
authors: Aleksandr
authors: A
authors: Chestkov
authors: Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 32 Vavilov str., Moscow, 119991, Russia.
authors: Arvo
authors: A
authors: Leinsoo
authors: Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 32 Vavilov str., Moscow, 119991, Russia.
authors: Boris
authors: B
authors: Shaskolskiy
authors: Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 32 Vavilov str., Moscow, 119991, Russia.
authors: Ekaterina
authors: E
authors: Dementieva
authors: State Research Center of Dermatovenerology and Cosmetology, Korolenko str. 3/1, Moscow, 107076, Russia.
authors: Viktoria
authors: V
authors: Solomka
authors: State Research Center of Dermatovenerology and Cosmetology, Korolenko str. 3/1, Moscow, 107076, Russia.
authors: Xenia
authors: X
authors: Plakhova
authors: Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 32 Vavilov str., Moscow, 119991, Russia.
authors: Dmitry
authors: D
authors: Gryadunov
authors: State Research Center of Dermatovenerology and Cosmetology, Korolenko str. 3/1, Moscow, 107076, Russia. dgderyabin@yandex.ru.
authors: Dmitriy
authors: D
authors: Deryabin
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D002443:Ceftriaxone / Q000494:pharmacology; D002939:Ciprofloxacin / Q000494:pharmacology; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics*; D005838:Genotype; D006069:Gonorrhea / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D017720:Molecular Epidemiology; D009344:Neisseria gonorrhoeae / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D012426:Russia / Q000453:epidemiology; D000198:Spectinomycin / Q000494:pharmacology; D013752:Tetracycline / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D002939:Ciprofloxacin; D002443:Ceftriaxone; D000198:Spectinomycin; D013752:Tetracycline
keywords: Antimicrobial resistance; Epidemiology; Genetic determinants of drug resistance; NG-MAST; Neisseria gonorrhoeae; Russia