Investigation of oxidative stress defenses of Neisseria gonorrhoeae by using a human polymorphonuclear leukocyte survival assay.

Neisseria gonorrhoeae has well-characterized oxidative stress defense systems that protect against oxidative killing in in vitro assays. In contrast, mutant strains of N. gonorrhoeae lacking oxidative stress defenses are identical to the wild type when tested in an ex vivo survival assay using human polymorphonuclear leukocytes.