A cluster of culture positive gonococcal infections but with false negative cppB gene based PCR

Lum, G., Freeman, K., Nguyen, N. L., Limnios, E. A., Tabrizi, S. M., Carter, I., Chambers, I. W., Sloots, T. P., Whiley, D. M., Garland, S. M. and Tapsall, J. (2005) A cluster of culture positive gonococcal infections but with false negative cppB gene based PCR. Sexually Transmitted Infections, 81 5: 400-402.


Author Lum, G.
Freeman, K.
Nguyen, N. L.
Limnios, E. A.
Tabrizi, S. M.
Carter, I.
Chambers, I. W.
Sloots, T. P.
Whiley, D. M.
Garland, S. M.
Tapsall, J.
Title A cluster of culture positive gonococcal infections but with false negative cppB gene based PCR
Journal name Sexually Transmitted Infections  (ERA 2012 Listed)    (ERA 2010 Rank B)   Check publisher's open access policy
Publication date 2005-10
Sub-type Article
DOI 10.1136/sti.2004.013805
Volume number 81
Issue number 5
ISSN 1368-4973
Start page 400
End page 402
Total pages 3
Editor Rob Miller
Helen Ward
Place of publication London , U.K.
Publisher BMJ Publishing Group Ltd
Collection year 2005
Language eng
Subject C1
270303 Virology
730101 Infectious diseases
Formatted abstract Objectives:
To describe the prevalence and characteristics of isolates of Neisseria gonorrhoeae grown from urine samples that produced negative results with nucleic acid amplification assays (NAA) targeting the cppB gene.

Methods:
An initial cluster of culture positive, but cppB gene based NAA negative, gonococcal infections was recognised. Urine samples and suspensions of gonococci isolated over 9 months in the Northern Territory of Australia were examined using cppB gene based and other non-cppB gene based NAA. The gonococcal isolates were phenotyped by determining the auxotype/ serovar (A/S) class and genotyped by pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE).

Results:
14 (9.8%) of 143 gonococci isolated were of A/S class Pro(-)/Brpyut, indistinguishable on PFGE and negative in cppB gene based, but not other, NAA.

Conclusions:
This cluster represents a temporal and geographic expansion of a gonococcal subtype lacking the cppB gene with consequent loss of sensitivity of NAA dependent on amplification of this target. Gonococci lacking the cppB gene have in the past been more commonly associated with the PAU(-)/PCU- auxotype, a gonococcal subtype hitherto infrequently encountered in Australia. NAA based on the cppB gene as a target may produce false positive as well as false negative NAA. This suggests that unless there is continuing comparison with culture to show their utility, cppB gene based NAA should be regarded as suboptimal for use either as a diagnostic or supplemental assay for diagnosis of gonorrhoea, and NAA with alternative amplification targets should be substituted.
Keyword Infectious Diseases
Real-time Pcr
Neisseria-gonorrhoeae
Plasmid
cppB gene
culture positive gonococcal infections
Q-Index Code C1
Q-Index Status Provisional Code
Institutional Status Non-UQ

 
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Created: Wed, 15 Aug 2007, 06:31:17 EST