Differences in Neisseria gonorrhoeae population structure and antimicrobial resistance pattern between men who have sex with men and heterosexuals

• Published in: Epidemiology and infection Vol. 145; no. 2; pp. 379 - 385
• Main Authors: SERRA-PLADEVALL, J., BARBERÁ, M. J., CALLARISA, A. E., BARTOLOMÉ-COMAS, R., ANDREU, A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Cambridge University Press 01-01-2017
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Anti-Bacterial Agents - pharmacology; Antigens; Antimicrobial agents; Drug resistance; Drug Resistance, Bacterial; Genetic Variation; Genotype; Gonorrhea; Gonorrhea - epidemiology; Gonorrhea - microbiology; Heterosexuality; Humans; Infections; Male; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Middle Aged; Molecular Epidemiology; Multilocus Sequence Typing; Neisseria gonorrhoeae; Neisseria gonorrhoeae - classification; Neisseria gonorrhoeae - drug effects; Neisseria gonorrhoeae - genetics; Neisseria gonorrhoeae - isolation & purification; Patients; Population; Sexual and Gender Minorities; Sexually transmitted diseases; STD; STIs; Young Adult; Spain; Neisseria gonorrhoeae; sexual networks; Antimicrobial resistance; population structure
• ISSN: 0950-2688; 1469-4409
• DOI: 10.1017/S095026881600234X

This study compared the antimicrobial susceptibility and genotypes of strains of Neisseria gonorrhoeae isolated from men who have sex with men (MSM) and from heterosexuals. One hundred and eleven strains were characterized from 107 patients, comprising 57 strains from 54 heterosexuals and 54 strains from 53 MSM. Antimicrobial resistance rates were higher in strains from heterosexual patients, with resistance to cefixime (𝑃 = 0·0159) and ciprofloxacin (𝑃 = 0·002) being significantly higher. Typing by N. gonorrhoeae multi-antigen sequence typing (NG-MAST) showed that the most prevalent sequence types (ST) and genogroups (G) respectively were ST2400, ST2992, and ST5793, and G1407, G2992, and G2400. A statistically significant association was observed for MSM and genogroups G2400 (𝑃 = 0·0005) and G2992 (𝑃 = 0·0488), and G1407 with heterosexuals (𝑃 = 0·0002). We conclude that in our region distinct populations of gonococci are circulating among subjects with different sexual practices, with their corresponding transmission patterns. Furthermore, the high prevalence of genotype G2400 in MSM, has not to our knowledge been previously described.