Association between auxotypes, seroguoups, and antibiotic susceptibilitiesof Neisseria gonorrhoeae isolated from women in Mumbai (formerly Bombay), India

Objectives: Gonococcal isolates were differentiated based on susceptibility pattern, penicillinase production (PPNG or non-PPNG), serogroup, auxotype, protein, and plasmid profile, The association between serogroup and auxoty pe and PPNG was determined. Study Design: Women attending tertiary level health centers and the sexuall y transmitted disease (STD) clinic in Mumbai, India, were screened for Neis seria gonorrhoeae. Minimal inhibitory concentration testing was performed a ccording to National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards (NCCLS) gu idelines. Auxotypes, serogroups, protein profile, and plasmid content were also studied. Results: Of the 33 isolates, 16 (48.5%) were resistant to penicillin, and 2 8 (84.8%) showed a chromosomally mediated resistance to tetracycline, Five (15.2%) isolates showed resistance to ciprofloxacin, whereas 12 (36.4%) sho wed a reduced susceptibility. Twenty-seven (81.8%) isolates belonged to the WI serogroup, and 15 (46.7%) were penicillinase producers (PPNG), Seventee n (51.5%) isolates were of the nonrequiring auxotype, whereas seven (21.2%) were proline requiring. Fifteen (55.6%) of the isolates belonged to the no nrequiring-WI auxotype/serogroup (A/S) class, Ten of the PPNG isolates poss essed the 4.4 MDa plasmid, whereas four had the 3.2 MDa plasmid, Increases in the molecular weight of the major outer membrane protein were observed. Conclusion: A high prevalence of chromosomal resistance to penicillin and t etracycline was observed. The 4.4 MDa plasmid was the most prevalent among the PPNG isolates. We observed ciprofloxacin resistance, which has not been reported in previous studies in India. The nonrequiring auxotype was the m ost prevalent, followed by the proline requiring auxotype. WI serogroup was the most commonly observed among the isolates studied. The nonrequiring/WI A/S class was the most prevalent among the PPNG.