Antimicrobial susceptibility of Neisseria gonorrhoeae isolated in Jiangsu Province, China, with a focus on fluoroquinolone resistance

• DOI: 10.1099/jmm.0.46401-0
• Publication Date: 2006-08-16T18:42:50Z
• Authors: Bei Wang; Jin-shui Xu; Chang-xian Wang; Zu-huang Mi; Yue-pu Pu; Mamie Hui; Thomas K. W. Ling; Chiu-Yeung Chan
• Keywords: Adult; DNA Topoisomerase IV; DNA, Bacterial; Male; China; Mutation, Missense; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Sequence Analysis, DNA; Neisseria gonorrhoeae; Anti-Bacterial Agents; 3. Good health; Gonorrhea; 03 medical and health sciences; 0302 clinical medicine; Amino Acid Substitution; DNA Gyrase; Drug Resistance, Bacterial; Humans; Female; Fluoroquinolones

In this study, the phenotypic and genotypic resistance to fluoroquinolones in Neisseria gonorrhoeae isolated in Jiangsu Province, China, was analysed. In vitro susceptibility testing of eight antimicrobial agents, including ciprofloxacin and levofloxacin, against 95 clinical isolates was carried out. Detection of mutations in the gyrA and parC genes was performed by sequence analysis. The clinical isolates demonstrated 100 % resistance to ciprofloxacin and 98.9 % non-susceptibility to levofloxacin. All of the isolates were susceptible to cefotaxime and ceftriaxone. For cefepime, spectinomycin and tetracycline, 98.9, 94.7 and 1.1 % of the isolates were susceptible, respectively. None of the isolates was susceptible to penicillin. Five types based on gyrA mutations could be categorized among 54 isolates with seven different mutation sites found on their parC gene. Analysis of sequence results showed that the gyrA mutation Asp-95→Ala and the parC mutations Ser-87→Arg and Ser-87→Asn made a significant contribution to the resistance to fluoroquinolones, in addition to double mutations found in each gene. Therefore, the use of fluoroquinolones in the treatment of N. gonorrhoeae infections in Jiangsu Province is not recommended, while the use of third- and fourth-generation cephalosporins and spectinomycin is recommended.