It is known that penicillinase-producing Neisseria gonorrhoeae (PPNG) are frequently found in South-East Asia and the infection does not respond to the recommended does of penicillin. N. gonorrhoeae cultures isolated during June 1977 to June 1979, from Yonsei Medical Center patients were tested for beta-lactamase production. Among the 127 isolates tested one was positive by the rapid iodometric method. The culture also gave a positive result by the method of Hodge et al. No zone of inhibition was observed when its susceptility was tested with a 10 unit penicillin disk. The patient who yielded the organism was a 51-year-old housewife living in Seoul. Neither she nor her husband had ever traveled abroad. This result documented the presence of PPNG in this community. In the future laboratories may require careful watch to detect further spreading of PPNG.
Female ; Gonorrhea/drug therapy ; Human ; Korea ; Neisseria gonorrhoeae/enzymology* ; Neisseria gonorrhoeae/isolation & purification ; Penicillins/therapeutic use ; beta-Lactamases/isolation & purification*

OBJECTIVEIn order to study the epidemiology of TEM-1 genes of Neisseria gonorrhoeae (Ng) in Wuxi area.

METHODSIn the light from foreign literature that positive Ng strains of beta-lactamase contain plasmid sequences of TEM-1 genes, heminested PCR for TME-1 genes of Ng detection was self-designed. Ng of 195 strains were detected, that were isolated in Wuxi area from Jan to the Oct, 2002.

RESULTSThere were 138 TEM-1 genes positive in 195 isolated strains with a positive rate of 70.8%. There was one case of heminested PCR product of TEM-1 genes which showed the homogeneity was 99% in Wuxi area, when comparing with pFA7 sequences of positive Ng plasmid of beta-lactase from register GenBank.

CONCLUSIONData showed that the Ng strains with TEM-1 genes were the prevalent ones in Wuxi area.

China ; epidemiology ; Drug Resistance, Bacterial ; genetics ; Gonorrhea ; epidemiology ; microbiology ; Humans ; Neisseria gonorrhoeae ; enzymology ; genetics ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; beta-Lactamases ; genetics