Publications

the lptd chaperone lpte is not directly involved in lipopolysaccharide transport in neisseria meningitidis.	the biosynthesis of lipopolysaccharide (lps) in gram-negative bacteria is well understood, in contrast to the transport to its destination, the outer leaflet of the outer membrane. in escherichia coli, synthesis and transport of lps are essential processes. neisseria meningitidis, conversely, can survive without lps and tolerates inactivation of genes involved in lps synthesis and transport. here, we analyzed whether the lpta, lptb, lptc, lpte, lptf, and lptg proteins, recently implicated in lps ...	2011	21705335
antimicrobial susceptibility of bacterial isolates from community acquired infections in sub-saharan africa and asian low and middle income countries.	objectiveôçé antimicrobial resistance has arisen across the globe in both nosocomial and community settings as a consequence of widespread antibiotic consumption. poor availability of laboratory diagnosis means that resistance frequently goes unrecognised and may only be detected as clinical treatment failure. in this review, we provide an overview of the reported susceptibility of common community acquired bacterial pathogens in sub-saharan africa and asia to the antibiotics that are most widel ...	2011	21707879
the neisseria meningitidis macrophage infectivity potentiator protein induces cross-strain serum bactericidal activity and is a potential serogroup b vaccine candidate.	a gene encoding a 29-kda protein from neisseria meningitidis serogroup b strain mc58 with homology to the macrophage infectivity potentiator (mip) protein of legionella pneumophila was cloned and expressed in escherichia coli, and the purified soluble recombinant protein (rmip) was used for immunization studies. analysis of the predicted amino acid sequences of mip from 13 well-characterized meningococcal strains, isolated from carriers or patients and differing in serogroup, serotype, and subty ...	2011	21708989
complement-mediated bactericidal activity of anti-factor h binding protein monoclonal antibodies against the meningococcus relies upon blocking factor h binding.	binding of the complement-downregulating protein factor h (fh) to the surface of the meningococcus is important for survival of the organism in human serum. the meningococcal vaccine candidate factor h binding protein (fhbp) is an important ligand for human fh. while some fhbp-specific monoclonal antibodies (mabs) block binding of fh to fhbp, the stoichiometry of blocking in the presence of high serum concentrations of fh and its effect on complement-mediated bactericidal activity are unknown. t ...	2011	21708990
profile and pattern of stevens-johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis in a general hospital in singapore: treatment outcomes.	stevens-johnson syndrome (sjs) and toxic epidermal necrolysis (ten) are rare, but potentially life-threatening, reactions to medications. both conditions have significant morbidity and mortality. the aim of this study was to document the epidemiological features, aetiologies, treatment and clinical outcomes of retrospectively reviewed data of all patients with sjs or ten treated from january 2004 to november 2010 in a general hospital. there were 18 cases of sjs, seven cases of sjs/ten overlap a ...	2011	21710108
case-control study of ectopic pregnancies in myanmar: infectious etiological factors.	we studied the role of infections in ectopic pregnancy and the different methods of detecting chlamydia trachomatis infection using serology, cervical and tubal pcr assays, by using a hospital-based, case-control study conducted between november 2007 and september 2009. the sample size was 339 with 113 cases and 226 controls. the cases were women admitted for the management of ectopic pregnancy while the controls were women admitted for spontaneous miscarriage. both cases and controls were teste ...	2011	21710857
general metabolism of laribacter hongkongensis: a genome-wide analysis.		2011	21711917
development of an automated, high-throughput bactericidal assay that measures cellular respiration as a survival readout for neisseria meningitidis.	complement-mediated bactericidal activity has long been regarded as the serological correlate of protective immunity against neisseria meningitidis. this was affirmed in 2005 at a who-sponsored meningococcal serology standardization workshop. the assay currently employed by most laboratories involves determining surviving bacterial colony counts on agar as a readout which is labor-intensive, time-consuming, and not amendable to rapid data analysis for clinical trials. consequently, there is an a ...	2011	21715580
screening of pregnant women attending the antenatal care clinic of a tertiary hospital in eastern saudi arabia for chlamydia trachomatis and neisseria gonorrhoeae infections.	inroduction: of the "top ten" sexually transmitted infections, chlamydia trachomatis and neisseria gonorrhoeae are ranked second and fifth, respectively, worldwide.	2010	21716786
pattern of sexually transmitted infections and performance of syndromic management against etiological diagnosis in patients attending the sexually transmitted infection clinic of a tertiary care hospital.	the availability of baseline information on the epidemiology of sexually transmitted infections (stis) and other associated risk behaviors is essential for designing, implementing, and monitoring successful targeted interventions. also, continuous analysis of risk assessment and prevalence-based screening studies are necessary to evaluate and monitor the performance of syndromic management. the aim of the present study was to document the pattern of common stis and to evaluate the performance of ...	2010	21716796
a sulfonium cation intermediate in the mechanism of methionine sulfoxide reductase b: a dft study.	the hybrid density functional theory method b3lyp in combination with three systematically larger active site models has been used to investigate the substrate binding and catalytic mechanism by which neisseria gonorrhoeae methionine sulfoxide reductase b (msrb) reduces methionine-r-sulfoxide (met-r-so) to methionine. the first step in the overall mechanism is nucleophilic attack of an active site thiolate at the sulfur of met-r-so to form an enzyme-substrate sulfurane. this occurs with concomit ...	2011	21721538
novel bacterial merr-like regulators their role in the response to carbonyl and nitrosative stress.	recognition of the diversity of transcriptional regulators of the merr family has increased considerably over the last decade and it has been established that not all merr-like regulators are involved in metal ion recognition. a new type of merr-like regulator was identified in neisseria gonorrhoeae that is distinct from metal-binding merr proteins. this novel transcription factor, the neisseria merr-like regulator (nmlr) is related to a large and diverse group of merr-like regulators. a common ...	2011	21722790
an alternative renewable source of squalene for use in emulsion adjuvants.	emulsions have been used to boost immunogenicity of antigens since the discovery of complete freunds adjuvant. optimization to reduce reactogenicity of emulsion adjuvants lead to the development of oil in water emulsions based on squalene. mf59 is an oil-in-water emulsion that is a component of an approved influenza product in europe. currently mf59 is manufactured from squalene derived from an animal source. recently a high purity plant-derived squalene source has become available at an appropr ...	2011	21723355
Positive nucleic acid amplification tests for Neisseria gonorrhoeae in young people tested as part of the National Chlamydia Screening Programme.	Little information is available on the prevalence of Neisseria gonorrhoeae (GC) infections outside genitourinary (GU) medicine clinics. A number of National Chlamydia Screening Programme areas now carry out simultaneous testing for Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) and GC in a single sample using nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs). The aim of this study was to gather together data on dual testing from community settings. Information was collected from five programme areas. A total of 219,412 resu ...	2011	21729959
incorporation of real-time pcr into routine public health surveillance of culture negative bacterial meningitis in s+úo paulo, brazil.	real-time (rt)-pcr increases diagnostic yield for bacterial meningitis and is ideal for incorporation into routine surveillance in a developing country. we validated a multiplex rt-pcr assay for streptococcus pneumoniae, neisseria meningitidis, and haemophilus influenzae in brazil. risk factors for being culture-negative, rt-pcr positive were determined. the sensitivity of rt-pcr in cerebrospinal fluid (csf) was 100% (95% confidence limits, 96.0%-100%) for n. meningitidis, 97.8% (85.5%-99.9%) fo ...	2011	21731621
n. elongata produces type iv pili that mediate interspecies gene transfer with n. gonorrhoeae.	the genus neisseria contains at least eight commensal and two pathogenic species. according to the neisseria phylogenetic tree, commensals are basal to the pathogens. n. elongata, which is at the opposite end of the tree from n. gonorrhoeae, has been observed to be fimbriated, and these fimbriae are correlated with genetic competence in this organism. we tested the hypothesis that the fimbriae of n. elongata are type iv pili (tfp), and that tfp functions in genetic competence. we provide evidenc ...	2011	21731720
review and international recommendation of methods for typing neisseria gonorrhoeae isolates and their implications for improved knowledge of gonococcal epidemiology, treatment, and biology.	gonorrhea, which may become untreatable due to multiple resistance to available antibiotics, remains a public health problem worldwide. precise methods for typing neisseria gonorrhoeae, together with epidemiological information, are crucial for an enhanced understanding regarding issues involving epidemiology, test of cure and contact tracing, identifying core groups and risk behaviors, and recommending effective antimicrobial treatment, control, and preventive measures. this review evaluates me ...	2011	21734242
cephalosporin susceptibility among neisseria gonorrhoeae isolates--united states, 2000-2010.	neisseria gonorrhoeae is a major cause of pelvic inflammatory disease, ectopic pregnancy, and infertility, and it can facilitate human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) transmission. emergence of gonococcal resistance to penicillin and tetracycline occurred during the 1970s and became widespread during the early 1980s. more recently, resistance to fluoroquinolones developed. resistance was documented first in asia, then emerged in the united states in hawaii followed by other western states. it then ...	2011	21734634
experimental gonococcal infection in male volunteers: cumulative experience with neisseria gonorrhoeae strains fa1090 and ms11mkc.	experimental infection of male volunteers with neisseria gonorrhoeae is safe and reproduces the clinical features of naturally acquired gonococcal urethritis. human inoculation studies have helped define the natural history of experimental infection with two well-characterized strains of n. gonorrhoeae, fa1090 and ms11mkc. the human model has proved useful for testing the importance of putative gonococcal virulence factors for urethral infection in men. studies with isogenic mutants have improve ...	2011	21734909
withdrawn: conjugate vaccines for preventing meningococcal c meningitis and septicaemia.	meningococcal polysaccharide (mpls) vaccines protect against serogroup c disease, but do not produce an immune response in infants less than two years of age. this limitation can be overcome by linking c polysaccharide to carrier proteins ('conjugating'), to create meningococcal serogroup c conjugate (mcc) vaccines. in the absence of trial data, the immune response to vaccination has been considered to be a reasonable surrogate for vaccine protection.	2011	21735387
population coverage analysis of t-cell epitopes of neisseria meningitidis serogroup b from iron acquisition proteins for vaccine design.	although the concept of reverse vaccinology was first pioneered for sepsis and meningococcal meningitidis causing bacterium, neisseria meningitides, no broadly effective vaccine against serogroup b meningococcal disease is yet available. in the present investigation, hla distribution analysis was undertaken to select three most promiscuous t-cell epitopes out of ten computationally validated epitopes of iron acquisition proteins from neisseria mc58 by using the population coverage tool of immune ...	2011	21738325
a tlr2 agonist is a more effective adjuvant for a chlamydia major outer membrane protein vaccine than ligands to other tlr and nod receptors.	chlamydia trachomatis (ct) is the most common sexually transmitted bacterial pathogen in the world and there is an urgent need for a vaccine to prevent these infections. to determine what type of adjuvant can better enhance the immunogenicity of a chlamydia vaccine, we formulated the recombinant major outer membrane protein (ct-rmomp) with several ligands for toll-like receptors (tlr) and the nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain (nod) including pam(2)csk(4) (tlr2/tlr6), poly (i:c) (tlr3), m ...	2011	21742006
increased gonorrhoea and chlamydia testing did not increase case detection in an hiv clinical cohort 1999-2007.	objectives since 2003, us organisations have recommended universal screening, rather than targeted screening, of hiv-infected persons for gonorrhoea and chlamydia. the objective of this study was to determine whether wider testing resulting from these guidelines would produce an increase in gonorrhoea/chlamydia diagnoses. methods 3283 patients receiving hiv care in 1999-2007 in the johns hopkins hospital hiv clinic were studied. the two primary outcomes were the occurrence of any gonorrhoea/chla ...	2011	21745834
combined haemophilus influenzae type b-neisseria meningitidis serogroup c vaccine is immunogenic and well tolerated in preterm infants when coadministered with other routinely recommended vaccines.	background:: preterm infants are at greater risk of morbidity from vaccine-preventable diseases. therefore, their responses to vaccination are of particular interest. methods:: in this open, controlled, spanish multicenter study, we assessed immunogenicity and safety following primary vaccination of 163 preterm infants (n = 56, <31 weeks' gestation; n = 107, 31-36 weeks' gestation) and 150 full-term infants (>36 weeks' gestation), with haemophilus influenzae type b (hib)-menc-tt, dtap(diphtheria ...	2011	21747321
lipooligosaccharide structure is an important determinant in the resistance of neisseria gonorrhoeae to antimicrobial agents of innate host defense.	the strict human pathogen neisseria gonorrhoeae has caused the sexually transmitted infection termed gonorrhea for thousands of years. over the millennia, the gonococcus has likely evolved mechanisms to evade host defense systems that operate on the genital mucosal surfaces in both males and females. past research has shown that the presence or modification of certain cell envelope structures can significantly impact levels of gonococcal susceptibility to host-derived antimicrobial compounds tha ...	2011	21747781
resistance of neisseria gonorrhoeae to neutrophils.	infection with the human-specific bacterial pathogen neisseria gonorrhoeae triggers a potent, local inflammatory response driven by polymorphonuclear leukocytes (neutrophils or pmns). pmns are terminally differentiated phagocytic cells that are a vital component of the host innate immune response and are the first responders to bacterial and fungal infections. pmns possess a diverse arsenal of components to combat microorganisms, including the production of reactive oxygen species and release of ...	2011	21747795
the pathobiology of neisseria gonorrhoeae lower female genital tract infection.	infection and disease associated with neisseria gonorrhoeae, the gonococcus, continue to be a global health problem. asymptomatic and subclinical gonococcal infections occur at a high frequency in females; thus, the true incidence of n. gonorrhoeae infections are presumed to be severely underestimated. inherent to this asymptomatic/subclinical diseased state is the continued prevalence of this organism within the general population, as well as the medical, economic, and social burden equated wit ...	2011	21747805
estradiol-treated female mice as surrogate hosts for neisseria gonorrhoeae genital tract infections.	historically, animal modeling of gonorrhea has been hampered by the exclusive adaptation of neisseria gonorrhoeae to humans. genital tract infection can be established in female mice that are treated with 17ß-estradiol, however, and many features of experimental murine infection mimic human infection. here we review the colonization kinetics and host response to experimental murine gonococcal infection, including mouse strain differences and evidence that il-17 responses, toll-like receptor 4, a ...	2011	21747807
tonb-dependent transporters expressed by neisseria gonorrhoeae.	neisseria gonorrhoeae causes the common sexually transmitted infection, gonorrhea. this microorganism is an obligate human pathogen, existing nowhere in nature except in association with humans. for growth and proliferation, n. gonorrhoeae requires iron and must acquire this nutrient from within its host. the gonococcus is well-adapted for growth in diverse niches within the human body because it expresses efficient transport systems enabling use of a diverse array of iron sources. iron transpor ...	2011	21747812
nafa negatively controls neisseria meningitidis piliation.	bacterial auto-aggregation is a critical step during adhesion of n. meningitidis to host cells. the precise mechanisms and functions of bacterial auto-aggregation still remain to be fully elucidated. in this work, we characterize the role of a meningococcal hypothetical protein, nmb0995/nmc0982, and show that this protein, here denoted nafa, acts as an anti-aggregation factor. nafa was confirmed to be surface exposed and was found to be induced at a late stage of bacterial adherence to epithelia ...	2011	21747953
antimicrobial susceptibility/resistance and molecular epidemiological characteristics of neisseria gonorrhoeae in 2009 in belarus.	glazkova s, golparian d, titov l, pankratova n, suhabokava n, shimanskaya i, domeika m, unemo m. antimicrobial susceptibility/resistance and molecular epidemiological characteristics of neisseria gonorrhoeae in 2009 in belarus. apmis 2011; 119: 537-42. increased antimicrobial resistance (amr) in neisseria gonorrhoeae is a global concern, and ultimately gonorrhoea may become untreatable. nonetheless, amr data from east-europe are scarce beyond russia, and no amr data or other characteristics of g ...	2011	21749454
meningococcal group c and w135 immunological hyporesponsiveness in african toddlers.	a phase ii clinical study was conducted in african toddlers (aged 12-23 months) with subjects receiving either, investigational meningococcal group a conjugate (psa-tt), meningococcal acwy polysaccharide (psacwy) or hib-tt vaccine. ten months following vaccination, the 3 study groups were further randomized to receive either a dose of psa-tt, 1/5(th) psacwy or hib-tt vaccine. group a sba results have been reported previously with the psa-tt demonstrating superior immunogenicity vs. psacwy vaccin ...	2011	21752951
vaccine design reaches the atomic level.	the genetic diversity of pathogens presents a challenge to the development of broadly effective vaccines. in this issue, scarselli et al. combine atomic-level structural information with genomics and classical vaccinology to design a single immunogen that elicits protective immunity against more than 300 natural variants of the bacterial pathogen meningococcus b. this accomplishment provides a glimpse of the power of structure-based vaccine design to create immunogens capable of eliciting protec ...	2011	21753119
rational design of a meningococcal antigen inducing broad protective immunity.	the sequence variability of protective antigens is a major challenge to the development of vaccines. for neisseria meningitidis, the bacterial pathogen that causes meningitis, the amino acid sequence of the protective antigen factor h binding protein (fhbp) has more than 300 variations. these sequence differences can be classified into three distinct groups of antigenic variants that do not induce cross-protective immunity. our goal was to generate a single antigen that would induce immunity aga ...	2011	21753121
septic arthritis: an extensive variety of pathology.	septic arthritis typically presents as a hot, swollen joint. rapid recognition and treatment of this condition is essential to prevent permanent joint damage. however, septic arthritis does not always present in a textbook manner. the case presented here concerns septic arthritis affecting the right sternoclavicular joint. the patient did not have any risk factors for septic arthritis and presented with a swollen tender joint that was not hot. he was treated with penicillin and then amoxicillin ...	2009	21754967
[the beginning of the end for the african meningitis belt?].		2011	21755648
prevalence of trichomonas vaginalis infection in symptomatic adolescent females presenting to a pediatric emergency department.	academic emergency medicine 2011; 18:763-766 © 2011 by the society for academic emergency medicine abstract: objectives: adolescent females are disproportionately affected by sexually transmitted infections (stis). although trichomonas vaginalis (tv) has been declared the most common nonviral sti, tv testing is not routinely conducted in the emergency department (ed), and when it is performed, insensitive testing methods are often used. therefore, this study sought to determine the prevalence o ...	2011	21762238
a two-site analytical evaluation of the bd viper system with xtr technology in nonextracted mode and extracted mode with seeded simulated specimens.	the bd probetec ct q(x) amplified dna assay and the bd probetec gc q(x) amplified dna assay (both bd diagnostics, sparks, md) represent two new assays developed for use with the bd viper system with xtr technology (bd diagnostics). these assays were built on the foundation of the former bd probetec et assays (bd diagnostics) and its accompanying instrumentation. the study described below compared the new assay format, extracted mode, to the former assay format, nonextracted mode, with the primar ...	2011	21764022
real-time pcr for detection of streptococcus suis serotype 2 in cerebrospinal fluid of human patients with meningitis.	streptococcus suis serotype 2 is an emerging zoonotic pathogen and is the main cause of acute bacterial meningitis in adult patients in vietnam. we developed an internally controlled real-time pcr for detection of s. suis serotype 2 in cerebrospinal fluid (csf) samples targeted at the cps2j gene. sensitivity and specificity in culture-confirmed clinical samples were 100%. the pcr detected s. suis serotype 2 infection in 101 of 238 (42.4%) prospectively collected csf samples, of which 55 (23%) we ...	2011	21767702
importance of antibodies to lipopolysaccharide in natural and vaccine-induced serum bactericidal activity against neisseria meningitidis group b.	analysis of the specificity of bactericidal antibodies in normal, convalescent and post-vaccination human sera is important in understanding human immunity to meningococcal infections and can aid in the design of an effective group b vaccine. a collection of human sera including group c and group b convalescent sera, normal sera with naturally occurring cross reactive bactericidal activity, and some post vaccination sera were analyzed to determine the specificity of cross reactive bactericidal a ...	2011	21768280
a preliminary note on the employment of certain constituents of the gonococcus in treatment and of other constituents in tests of cure.		1927	21772547
waterhouse-friderichsen syndrome in an adult patient with meningococcal meningitis.	waterhouse-friderichsen syndrome is one of the fatal complications of meningococcal infection. here we report a fatal case of this syndrome due to neisseria meningitidis in a 29-year-old male patient who was admitted with high-grade fever and chills and vomiting since 7 days, a skin rash over the abdomen and trunk, and altered sensorium since 2 days. on examination, the signs of meningitis were present along with the hemorrhagic rash. the diagnosis of adrenal hemorrhage was confirmed by computer ...	2011	21772601
gonococcus and meningococcus: interchange of habitat.		1945	21773115
the use of mislowitzer's portable incubator "monotherm" in culture of the gonococcus.		1937	21773231
active immunisation by intracutaneous injection of live gonococcus cultures as a therapeutic measure in chronic gonorrh+ôa of the cervix and adnexa in women: experience with over 10,000 injections.		1938	21773249
acute conjunctivitis caused by a gram-negative diplococcus resembling the gonococcus.		1939	21773273
some observations on the action of certain sodium bile salts on the gonococcus.		1933	21773512
gonococcus ecto-antigen.		1933	21773520
glutamate utilization promotes meningococcal survival in vivo through avoidance of the neutrophil oxidative burst.	polymorphonuclear neutrophil leucocytes (pmns) are a critical part of innate immune defence against bacterial pathogens, and only a limited subset of microbes can escape killing by these phagocytic cells. here we show that neisseria meningitidis, a leading cause of septicaemia and meningitis, can avoid killing by pmns and this is dependent on the ability of the bacterium to acquire l-glutamate through its gltt uptake system. we demonstrate that the uptake of available l-glutamate promotes n. men ...	2011	21777301
endometrial leukocyte subpopulations associated with chlamydia trachomatis, neisseria gonorrhoeae, and trichomonas vaginalis genital tract infection.	objective: the objective of the study was to characterize endometrial inflammation associated with common genital tract pathogens. study design: the design of the study was the immunohistochemical characterization of the endometrial leukocyte subpopulations from 37 controls and 45 women infected with chlamydia trachomatis, neisseria gonorrhoeae, or trichomonas vaginalis. results: compared with uninfected women, endocervical infection with c trachomatis, n gonorrhoeae, or t vaginalis was associat ...	2011	21777898
bacterial carbonic anhydrases as drug targets: toward novel antibiotics?	carbonic anhydrases (cas, ec 4.2.1.1) are metalloenzymes which catalyze the hydration of carbon dioxide to bicarbonate and protons. many pathogenic bacteria encode such enzymes belonging to the a-, ß-, and/or ?-ca families. in the last decade, the a-cas from neisseria spp. and helicobacter pylori as well as the ß-class enzymes from escherichia coli, h. pylori,mycobacterium tuberculosis, brucella spp., streptococcus pneumoniae, salmonella enterica, and haemophilus influenzae have been cloned and ...	2011	21779249
the soluble, periplasmic domain of ompa folds as an independent unit and displays chaperone activity by reducing the self-association propensity of the unfolded ompa transmembrane ß-barrel.	ompa is one of only a few transmembrane proteins whose folding and stability have been investigated in detail. however, only half of the ompa mass encodes its transmembrane ß-barrel; the remaining sequence is a soluble domain that is localized to the periplasmic side of the outer membrane. to understand how the ompa periplasmic domain contributes to the stability and folding of the full-length ompa protein, we cloned, expressed, purified and studied the ompa periplasmic domain independently of t ...	2011	21782315
quorum sensing contributes to natural transformation of vibrio cholerae in a species-specific manner.	although it is a human pathogen, vibrio cholerae is a regular member of aquatic habitats, such as coastal regions and estuaries. within these environments, v. cholerae often takes advantage of the abundance of zooplankton and their chitinous molts as a nutritious surface on which the bacteria can form biofilms. chitin also induces the developmental program of natural competence for transformation in several species of the genus vibrio. in this study, we show that v. cholerae does not distinguish ...	2011	21784943
next-generation outer membrane vesicle vaccines against neisseria meningitidis based on nontoxic lps mutants.	outer membrane vesicles (omvs) have been used extensively as experimental vaccines against neisseria meningitidis. classical meningococcal omv vaccines contain wildtype lipopolysaccharide (lps) with a hexa-acylated lipid a moiety, which is a very potent activator of the tlr4 receptor. while this may make the lps an effective "internal" adjuvant, it also contributes to vaccine reactogenicity. reduction of endotoxic activity has therefore been essential for the application of meningococcal omv vac ...	2011	21785281
comment on "a sulfonium cation intermediate in the mechanism of methionine sulfoxide reductase b: a dft study"	recently, gauld and coworkers convincingly showed that the mechanism of methionine sulfoxide reductase b (msrb) passes through a sulfonium cation similarly to that shown for msra. in their dft study, three chemical models of the msrb were considered in order to provide insights into the role of various residues in the chemistry and substrate specificity. for most of them, their role had already been demonstrated by site-directed mutagenesis associated with kinetic studies. the small model presen ...	2011	21786749
effect of mesoporous silica under neisseria meningitidis transformation process: environmental effects under meningococci transformation.	abstract: background: this study aimed the use of mesoporous silica under the naturally transformable neisseria meningitidis, an important pathogen implicated in the genetic horizontal transfer of dna causing a escape of the principal vaccination measures worldwide by the capsular switching process. this study verified the effects of mesoporous silica under n. meningitidis transformation specifically under the capsular replacement. methods: we used three different mesoporous silica particles to ...	2011	21787408
evaluation of sexual history-based screening of anatomic sites for chlamydia trachomatis and neisseria gonorrhoeae infection in men having sex with men in routine practice.	abstract: background: sexually transmitted disease (std) screening programmes are implemented in many countries to decrease burden of std and to improve sexual health. screening for chlamydia trachomatis and neisseria gonorrhoeae has a prominent role in these protocols. most of the screening programmes concerning men having sex with men (msm) are based on opportunistic urethral testing. in the netherlands, a history-based approach is used. the aim of this study is to evaluate the protocol of scr ...	2011	21791061
sexually transmitted infections and sexual practices among injecting drug users in harm reduction centers in catalonia.	background: the objectives of the study were to estimate the prevalence of chlamydia trachomatis and neisseria gonorrhoeae and sexual risk practices, and to identify factors associated with infection by c. trachomatis/n. gonorrhoeae. methods: injecting drug users were interviewed at harm reduction centers and biological samples were collected to estimate the prevalence of c. trachomatis and n. gonorrhoeae. results: the prevalence of c. trachomatis was 2.3%, and this was higher among immigrants ( ...	2011	21791924
regulating iron storage and metabolism with rna: an overview of posttranscriptional controls of intracellular iron homeostasis.	iron (fe) is a double-edged sword for most living organisms. although it is essential for the catalytic activity of a large number of enzymes, ferrous iron (fe(2+) ) becomes cytotoxic in the presence of normal respiratory by-products such as h(2) o(2) . because of this toxicity, intracellular iron concentrations ought to be regulated by elaborated homeostasis systems that, despite decades of extensive studies, have not yet revealed all of their surprising arrays of mechanistic details. within th ...	2011	21793218
[septic arthritis due to meningococcus. report an atypical case presentation].	we have observed the case of a 73-years-old man with a septic monoarthritis affecting the left knee due to neisseria meningitidis serogroup b, without previous traumatism, fever, headache or meningeal symptoms. the patient didn¦üt present risk factors of meningococcal infection. the infection was resolved satisfactorily with parenteral ceftriaxone during 2 weeks and oral ciprofloxacin during 1 month.	2008	21794512
from pertussis to meningococcal disease and back.	from pertussis to meningococcal disease and back represents nearly 30 years of research at porton, first at the centre for applied microbiology and research and latterly as part of the health protection agency. i joined the group lead by andy robinson developing an acellular pertussis vaccine and was part of an exciting period that encompassed basic antigen characterisation and pathogenesis studies with the development of an acellular vaccine containing fimbriae. research then changed to focus o ...	2011	21795847
sexually transmitted infections in pregnant adolescents: prevalence and association with maternal and foetal morbidity.	background pregnant adolescents have a high incidence of sexually transmitted infections and higher risk of adverse birth outcome. objectives to assess the prevalence of sexually transmitted infections in pregnant adolescents and the associations between these infections and adverse birth outcome. methods a prospective study with a face-to-face interview to pregnant adolescents was followed by first-void urine and cervical swabs collection for polymerase chain reaction testing for chlamydia t ...	2011	21797933
evaluation of a new multiplex polymerase chain reaction assay stdfinder for the simultaneous detection of 7 sexually transmitted disease pathogens.	we evaluated a new multiplex polymerase chain reaction (mpcr), "stdfinder assay", a novel multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (mlpa) assay for the simultaneous detection of 7 clinically relevant pathogens of stds, i.e., neisseria gonorrhoeae, chlamydia trachomatis, trichomonas vaginalis, mycoplasma genitalium, treponema pallidum, and herpes simplex virus type 1 and 2 (hsv-1 and hsv-2). an internal amplification control was included in the mpcr reaction. the limits of detection for t ...	2011	21798683
bacterial genomic detection within cerebrospinal fluid of patients with meningococcal disease is influenced by microbial and host characteristics.	among 384 patients with confirmed meningococcal disease, the likelihood of detecting neisseria meningitidis dna in cerebrospinal fluid (csf) increased with age, serogroup b infection, and prehospitalization antibiotic treatment. plasma and csf genomic bacterial loads of non-b n. meningitidis serogroups correlated significantly. serogroup b-infected patients with genotype tnf2 (-308a) had significantly higher csf bacterial loads.	2011	21798855
antimicrobial susceptibility of neisseria gonorrhoeae in pune from 1996 to 2007.		2011	21799581
testing the vaccine potential of pilv, pilx and comp, minor subunits of neisseria meningitidis type iv pili.	because meningitis and septicaemia caused by neisseria meningitidis are major public health problems worldwide, the design of a broadly protective vaccine remains a priority. type iv pili (tfp) are surface-exposed filaments playing a key role in pathogenesis in a variety of bacterial species, including n. meningitidis, that have demonstrated vaccine potential. unfortunately, in the meningococcus, the major pilus subunit pile usually undergoes extensive antigenic variation and is therefore not su ...	2011	21803096
human antibody and memory b and t-cell responses after primary and booster immunisation against neisseria meningitidis b.	vaccination against disease aims at the induction of long-lasting cellular and humoral immune responses. few studies have addressed the mechanisms by which meningococcal vaccines generate and sustain immunological memory. the goal of this study was to investigate the development of long-term humoral and cellular memory to neisseria meningitidis serogroup b (menb) in health subjects after immunisation with the cuban outer membrane protein (omp) vaccine (va-mengoc-bc(®)). the results showed that t ...	2011	21803107
haemophilus influenzae type b-neisseria meningitidis serogroups c and y tetanus toxoid conjugate vaccine for infants and toddlers.	the highest rates of invasive meningococcal disease occur in children under 2 years of age, yet as of early 2011 no vaccine was licensed for the youngest infants. however, a novel vaccine consisting of capsular polysaccharides from haemophilus influenzae type b (hib) and neisseria meningitidis serogroups c and y conjugated to tetanus toxoid (hibmency-tt; menhibrix™, glaxosmithkline) is in the late stages of development. in clinical trials involving more than 7800 children, hibmency-tt was shown ...	2011	21806393
my battle against gonorrhea.		2011	21810714
experimental meningococcal sepsis in congenic transgenic mice expressing human transferrin.	severe meningococcal sepsis is still of high morbidity and mortality. its management may be improved by an experimental model allowing better understanding of its pathophysiology. we developed an animal model of meningococcal sepsis in transgenic balb/c mice expressing human transferrin. we studied experimental meningococcal sepsis in congenic transgenic balb/c mice expressing human transferrin by transcriptional profiling using microarray analysis of blood and brain samples. genes encoding acut ...	2011	21811575
focusing homologous recombination: pilin antigenic variation in the pathogenic neisseria.	some pathogenic microbes utilize homologous recombination to generate antigenic variability in targets of immune surveillance. these specialized systems rely on the cellular recombination machinery to catalyse dedicated, high-frequency reactions that provide extensive diversity in the genes encoding surface antigens. a description of the specific mechanisms that allow unusually high rates of recombination without deleterious effects on the genome in the well-characterized pilin antigenic variati ...	2011	21812841
evaluation of six commercial nucleic acid amplification tests for the detection of neisseria gonorrhoeae and other neisseria species.	molecular detection of neisseria gonorrhoeae in extragenital samples may result in false positive results due to cross reaction with commensal neisseria species or neisseria meningitidis. this study examined 450 characterised clinical culture isolates, comprising 216 n. gonorrhoeae and 234 neisseria species (n=218) and other closely related bacteria (n=16), with six commercial nucleic acid amplification tests (naats) including gen-probe aptima combo 2 and aptima gc; roche cobas amplicor ct/ng an ...	2011	21813721
[in process citation].		2011	21815540
mechanisms of meningococcal colonisation.	despite advances against infectious diseases over the past century, neisseria meningitidis remains a major causative agent of meningitis and septicaemia worldwide. its adaptation for survival in the human nasopharynx makes the meningococcus a highly successful commensal bacterium. recent progress has been made in understanding the mechanisms that enable neisserial colonisation, in terms of the role of type iv pili, the impact of other adhesins, biofilm formation, nutrient acquisition and resista ...	2011	21816616
correlates of amphetamine-type stimulant use and associations with hiv-related risks among young women engaged in sex work in phnom penh, cambodia.	background: amphetamine-type stimulant (ats) use has increased in cambodia and emerged as a significant problem among female sex workers (fsws), potentially contributing to increased risk of hiv. we examined the prevalence of ats use and its effect on sexual risk behaviors, and sexually transmitted infections (sti) among fsws in phnom penh, cambodia. methods: a one-year prospective study among young women engaged in sex work in brothels, entertainment establishments and on a freelance basis. soc ...	2011	21820251
flow cytometry: an alternative method for direct quantification of antigens adsorbed to aluminum hydroxide adjuvant.	flow cytometry (fc) has been widely used in biological research; however, its use for vaccine characterization has been very limited. here we describe the development of an fc method for the direct quantification of two neisseria meningitidis vaccine antigens, in mono- and multivalent formulations, while still adsorbed on aluminum hydroxide (ah) suspension. the antibody-based method is specific and sensitive. because fc allows microscopic particle examination, the entire aluminum suspension carr ...	2011	21820996
de-n-acetylated sialic acid is immunogenic and elicits antibodies that are protective against neisseria meningitidis.	recently, we showed that monoclonal antibodies (mabs) that are reactive with derivatives of polysialic acid containing de-n-acetylated neuraminic acid (neu) residues are protective against n. meningitidis group b strains (moe et al. 2005, infect immun73: 2123; flitter et al., in preparation). in addition, we found that fully de-n-acetylated psa (i.e. poly alpha 2,8 neu) conjugated to tetanus toxoid (denac) elicits igm and igg antibodies of all subclasses in mice that bind to group b strains, act ...	2009	21822362
influence of medium components on the expression of recombinant lipoproteins in escherichia coli.	bacterial lipoproteins are crucial antigens for protective immunity against bacterial pathogens. expression of exogenous lipoproteins in escherichia coli at high levels is thought to be an extremely difficult endeavor because it frequently results in incomplete or absent lipid modification. previously, we identified a fusion sequence (d1) from a neisseria meningitidis lipoprotein that induced a non-lipidated protein, e3 (the domain iii of the dengue virus envelope protein), to become lipidated. ...	2011	21822641
[cloning and prokaryotic expression of the outer membrane protein gene porb of neisseria gonorrhoeae].	to construct a fused expression vector of the outer membrane protein gene porb of neisseria gonorrhoeae, express the fusion protein in the prokaryotic system, and obtain a gene recombination protein, for the purpose of preparing the ground for further research on the pathopoiesis and immune protective response of porb.	2011	21823339
an experimental outer membrane vesicle vaccine from n. meningitidis serogroup b strains that induces serum bactericidal activity to multiple serogroups.	a trivalent native outer membrane vesicle vaccine that has potential to provide broad based protection against neisseria meningitidis serogroup b strains has been developed. preliminary immunogenicity studies in mice showed that the vaccine was capable of inducing an effective broad based bactericidal antibody response against n. meningitidis serogroup b strains. these findings in mice have been repeated with a cgmp trivalent nomv vaccine and extended to show that the bactericidal antibody respo ...	2011	21827811
meningococcal disease: the advances and challenges of meningococcal disease prevention.	vaccination as a means to prevent meningococcal disease caused by neisseria meningitidis is critical given the abrupt onset and rapid progression of this disease. five serogroups-a, b, c, w-135, and y-are responsible for the majority of cases. in developed countries, infants have the greatest risk of disease, with a smaller secondary peak observed in late adolescence. vaccines utilizing the polysaccharide capsule are poorly immunogenic in young children but can reduce the incidence of meningococ ...	2011	21832882
new concepts in immunity to neisseria gonorrhoeae: innate responses and suppression of adaptive immunity favor the pathogen, not the host.	it is well-known that gonorrhea can be acquired repeatedly with no apparent development of protective immunity arising from previous episodes of infection. symptomatic infection is characterized by a purulent exudate, but the host response mechanisms are poorly understood. while the remarkable antigenic variability displayed by neisseria gonorrhoeae and its capacity to inhibit complement activation allow it to evade destruction by the host's immune defenses, we propose that it also has the capac ...	2011	21833308
the gonococcal genetic island and type iv secretion in the pathogenic neisseria.	eighty percent of neisseria gonorrhoeae strains and some neisseria meningitidis strains encode a 57-kb gonococcal genetic island (ggi). the ggi was horizontally acquired and is inserted in the chromosome at the replication terminus. the ggi is flanked by direct repeats, and site-specific recombination at these sites results in excision of the ggi and may be responsible for its original acquisition. although the role of the ggi in n. meningitidis is unclear, the ggi in n. gonorrhoeae encodes a ty ...	2011	21833316
interactions with host cells causes neisseria meningitidis pili to become unglued.		2011	21833319
the composition and metabolic phenotype of neisseria gonorrhoeae biofilms.	neisseria gonorrhoeae has been shown to form biofilms during cervical infection. thus, biofilm formation may play an important role in the infection of women. the ability of n. gonorrhoeae to form membrane blebs is crucial to biofilm formation. blebs contain dna and outer membrane structures, which have been shown to be major constituents of the biofilm matrix. the organism expresses a dna thermonuclease that is involved in remodeling of the biofilm matrix. comparison of the transcriptional prof ...	2011	21833322
antibiotics for preventing meningococcal infections.	meningococcal disease is a contagious bacterial infection caused by neisseria meningitidis (n. meningitidis). household contacts have the highest risk of contracting the disease during the first week of a case being detected. prophylaxis is considered for close contacts of people with a meningococcal infection and populations with known high carriage rates.	2011	21833949
a laboratory-based evaluation of the biostar optical immunoassay (oia) point-of-care test (poct) for diagnosing neisseria gonorrhoeae.	abstractthe development of gonococcal point-of-care tests (pocts) has been challenging due to the relatively monomorphic nature of the neisseria genus. the biostar optical immunoassay (oia) poct for diagnosing neisseria gonorrhoeae detects a specific epitope on the l7/l12 ribosomal protein, which reduces cross-reactivity with other neisseriae, and produces a highly specific test. a laboratory-based evaluation of this poct was performed to determine its analytical sensitivity and specificity. a p ...	2011	21835969
neisseria meningitidis and escherichia coli are protected from leukocyte phagocytosis by binding to erythrocyte complement receptor 1 in human blood.	the initial interaction of gram-negative bacteria with erythrocytes and its implications on leukocyte phagocytosis and oxidative burst in human whole blood were examined. alexa-labeled escherichia coli, wild-type h44/76 n. meningitidis and the h44/76lpxa lipopolysaccharide (lps)-deficient mutant were incubated with whole blood using lepirudin as anticoagulant which has no adverse effects on complement. bacteria free in plasma, bound to erythrocytes or phagocytized by granulocytes and monocytes w ...	2011	21839519
Computational electrophysiology: the molecular dynamics of ion channel permeation and selectivity in atomistic detail.		2011	21843464
computational electrophysiology: the molecular dynamics of ion channel permeation and selectivity in atomistic detail.	presently, most simulations of ion channel function rely upon nonatomistic brownian dynamics calculations, indirect interpretation of energy maps, or application of external electric fields. we present a computational method to directly simulate ion flux through membrane channels based on biologically realistic electrochemical gradients. in close analogy to single-channel electrophysiology, physiologically and experimentally relevant timescales are achieved. we apply our method to the bacterial ...	2011	21843471
a naturally occurring single residue mutation in the translocator domain of neisseria meningitidis nhha affects trimerization, surface localization and adhesive capabilities.	neisseria meningitidis nhha (neisseria hia/hsf homologue a) is an oligomeric outer membrane protein, belonging to the family of trimeric autotransporter adhesins. nhha mediates the interaction of n. meningitidis with human epithelial cells and components of the extracellular matrix. the recombinant protein is able to induce bactericidal antibodies and hence has also been considered as a potential vaccine candidate. in this study, we analyzed the production of nhha in a large panel of n. meningit ...	2011	21844231
Neisseria gonorrhoeae-mediated inhibition of apoptotic signalling in polymorphonuclear leukocytes.	The human pathogen Neisseria gonorrhoeae recruits and interacts extensively with polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) during infection. N. gonorrhoeae is able to survive the bactericidal activity of these innate immune cells, and can actively modulate PMN functions in vitro. PMNs are short-lived cells which readily undergo apoptosis, thus the effect of N. gonorrhoeae infection on PMN survival has implications for whether PMNs might serve as an important site of bacterial replication during infect ...	2011	21844239
hiv-1 rna rectal shedding is reduced in men with low plasma hiv-1 rna viral loads and is not enhanced by sexually transmitted bacterial infections of the rectum.	background.ôçâamong human immunodeficiency virus (hiv)-infected men who have sex with men (msm) taking combination antiretroviral therapy (cart), the impact of rectal sexually transmitted infections (stis) on rectal hiv-1 shedding is unknown. methods.ôçâhuman immunodeficiency virus type 1 (hiv-1) rna was quantified from rectal swabs collected for neisseria gonorrhoeae (gc) and chlamydia trachomatis (ct) screening of hiv-1-infected msm. correlations of stis with rectal viral load were explored us ...	2011	21844302
sexually transmitted infections and hepatitis in men with a history of incarceration.	background:: men entering correctional facilities have high rates of human immunodeficiency virus, sexually transmitted infections (sti), and hepatitis. many prisons offer screening, treatment, and vaccination services; however, little is known about the rates of these infections in men after release to the community. methods:: young men were recruited from prisons in mississippi, rhode island, and wisconsin as part of a human immunodeficiency virus/sti/hepatitis intervention study. participants ...	2011	21844713
resistance to azithromycin of neisseria gonorrhoeae isolates from 2 cities in china.	: antimicrobial resistance in neisseria gonorrhoeae (ng) is a public health concern globally, and azithromycin-resistant ng isolates have been identified in many countries. this study aimed to investigate azithromycin susceptibility in ng and to genetically characterize the azithromycin-resistant isolates identified in 2 cities in china.	2011	21844727
antimicrobial resistant gonorrhea in atlanta: 1988-2006.	gonococcal isolates (n = 4336) were collected from men with urethritis at the fulton county std clinic between 1988 and 2006. antimicrobial susceptibility was performed by agar dilution. increasing numbers of isolates from men who have sex with men and with fluoroquinolone resistance were noted. new antimicrobials effective against gonorrhea are urgently needed.	2011	21844728
screening of oropharynx and anorectum increases prevalence of chlamydia trachomatis and neisseria gonorrhoeae infection in female std clinic visitors.	: the relevance of screening of oropharynx and anorectum in addition to endocervical tests for detection of chlamydia trachomatis and neisseria gonorrhoeae infection is unclear in women, while there is a documented benefit of this approach in men who have sex with men.	2011	21844729
prevalence of chlamydia trachomatis and neisseria gonorrhoeae among asymptomatic women attending the capital health region clinics in kuwait.	: data on the prevalence of chlamydia trachomatis (ct) and neisseria gonorrhoeae (ng) infections are not available in kuwait. this study was conducted to determine the prevalence of ct and ng in asymptomatic women attending 4 primary health care clinics in the capital health region.	2011	21844731
identification of sexual networks through molecular typing of quinolone-resistant neisseria gonorrhoeae in ontario, canada.	neisseria gonorrhoeae multi-antigen sequence typing technique demonstrated multiple sexual transmission networks in ontario, canada. isolates with novel sequences had higher odds of originating in toronto but had no association with heightened population-level quinolone exposure. neisseria gonorrhoeae multi-antigen sequence typing technique can be a useful tool for investigation of multidrug-resistant n. gonorrhoeae emergence in north america.	2011	21844735
antibiotic-resistant phenotypes and genotypes of neisseria gonorrhoeae isolates in japan: identification of strain clusters with multidrug-resistant phenotypes.	: to determine the antibiotic susceptibility and the genotype distributions of n. gonorrhoeae isolates in fukuoka, japan, and to evaluate the specific associations between genotypes and antibiotic resistance.	2011	21844744