Molecular Characteristics and Gonococcal Genetic Island Carrying Status of Thirty-Seven Neisseria gonorrhoeae Isolates in Eastern China.

PURPOSE: To investigate the carrying situation of N. gonorrhoeae genetic island (GGI), and to understand the existence of GGI of different multilocus sequence types (MLST), so as to provide evidence for epidemiology.

METHODS

From January 2018 to December 2020, a total of 37 clinical isolates of N. gonorrhoeae were collected. Resistance to tetracycline, β-lactam, and azithromycin were measured. Genes in GGI (atlA, traG, and traH) were amplified via polymerase chain reaction (PCR). All clinical isolates were subjected to N. gonorrhoeae MLST.

RESULTS

The GGI of N. gonorrhoeae were widespread, and the positive detection rates of atlA, traG and traH were all 81.08% (30/37). In this study, atlA, traG and traH were always detected positive together. No significant difference in the positive rate of the GGI between the azithromycin-sensitive and the resistance groups or between the β-lactam positive and negative groups (P > 0.05) was found; however, there was a significant difference between the high-level tetracycline-resistant group and the non-high-level resistant group (P < 0.05), with the carrier rates being 60.00% and 94.45%, respectively. Among the 37 isolates studied, 12 distinct MLST were determined, while MLST ST8123 occurred most frequently, accounting for 18.91% (7/37), followed by ST1928, ST7367 and ST7822, all 13.51% (5/37).

CONCLUSION

N. gonorrhoeae typed as ST1928, ST1901, ST1588 and ST7822, the GGI were all positive. These four types are more likely to become highly virulent strains.