Detection of Neisseria gonorrhoeae Isolates from Tonsils and Posterior Oropharynx

M Bissessor; D M Whiley; D M Lee; A F Snow; C K Fairley; J Peel; C S Bradshaw; J S Hocking; M M Lahra; M Y Chen

doi:10.1128/JCM.01647-15

Detection of Neisseria gonorrhoeae Isolates from Tonsils and Posterior Oropharynx

J Clin Microbiol. 2015 Nov;53(11):3624-6. doi: 10.1128/JCM.01647-15. Epub 2015 Aug 19.

Authors

M Bissessor¹, D M Whiley², D M Lee³, A F Snow³, C K Fairley⁴, J Peel³, C S Bradshaw⁴, J S Hocking⁵, M M Lahra⁶, M Y Chen⁴

Affiliations

¹ Melbourne Sexual Health Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia [email protected].
² The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland, Australia Queensland Paediatric Infectious Diseases Laboratory, Queensland Children's Medical Research Institute, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland, Australia.
³ Melbourne Sexual Health Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
⁴ Melbourne Sexual Health Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
⁵ Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
⁶ WHO Collaborating Centre for Sexually Transmitted Diseases, SEALS Microbiology, The Prince of Wales Hospital, Randwick, New South Wales, Australia University of New South Wales, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia.

Abstract

We examined the factors influencing gonorrhea detection at the pharynx. One hundred men infected with Neisseria gonorrhoeae were swabbed from the tonsils and posterior oropharynx. N. gonorrhoeae was reisolated from the tonsils and posterior oropharynx in 62% and 52%, respectively (P = 0.041). Culture positivity was greater with higher gonococcal DNA loads at the tonsils (P = 0.001) and oropharynx (P < 0.001). N. gonorrhoeae can be cultured from the tonsils and posterior oropharynx with greater isolation rates where gonococcal loads are higher.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Australia
Bacterial Load
DNA, Bacterial / genetics*
Gonorrhea / diagnosis*
Gonorrhea / microbiology
Homosexuality, Male
Humans
Male
Neisseria gonorrhoeae / genetics*
Neisseria gonorrhoeae / isolation & purification
Palatine Tonsil / microbiology*
Pharyngeal Diseases / diagnosis*
Pharyngeal Diseases / microbiology
Polymerase Chain Reaction

Substances

DNA, Bacterial