Lecture 7 - STDs Flashcards
What are the 2 Neisseria pathogens?
N. gonorrhoeae (STD) and N. meningitidis
Describe Neisseria bacteria.
Gram-negative diplococci (cocci in pairs) that are oxidase-positive and only infect humans
Are there vaccines against Neisseria, Chlamydia, and syphilis bacteria?
NOPE (only against N. meningitidis)
How common is Neisseria gonorrhoeae?
2nd most common STD in the US
Where is the highest incidence of Neissesia gonorrhoeae globally?
Some parts of the US
What does dysuria mean?
Painful urination
Are symptoms of GC the same in males and females?
5 x more asymptomatic females than males
Symptoms of GC? What to note?
Reddened urethral meatus with a purulent discharge, without lesions or lymphadenopathy = gonococcal urethritis
NOTE: differential diagnosis should include chlamydia and gonorrhea: clinical presentation is consistent with gonorrhea,
although chlamydia cannot be ruled out
What 4 STDs can travel together?
- GC
- Chlamydia
- Syphilis
- HIV
Pathogenesis of GC?
- Attachment: 2- steps: distant with pili and firm with OPA
- Endocytosis by urethral or vaginal epithelia
- Transport to basal surface of epithelial cell
- Exocytosis to subepithelial tissue through the ECM
- Release to mucosal surface
- Host innate immune cells (MOs and neutrophils) phagocytose the pathogen but some survive within the MOs and get released
7a. Host cell damage as LPS activates MO cytokine TNF causing apoptosis of host epithelial cells => bacteria get escape back into the lumen
7b. Neutrophils with phagocytosed bacteria travel to the lumen => PMN-rich exudate
GC incubation period?
2-5 days
Where is the GC infection located in females?
- Urogenital cervix (80-90%)
- Rectum (40%)
- Pharynx (10-20%)
When do GC symptoms appear in females?
After 10 days of infection
Complication of GC infection in females? How often does this occur?
PID due to the GC spreading to reproductive organs causing irreversible damage to the uterus, ovaries, fallopian tubes, or other parts of the
female reproductive system
Happens in 10-20% of cases and is the primary preventable cause of infertility in women
What is unique about GC infection in females?
There is a blood-borne phase of the infection causing arthritis-dermatitis syndrome
Less often disseminated infection in males
Locations of GC infections in males?
- Urethritis
- Rectum
- Pharynx
- Epididymis
What happens if you biopsy the lesions caused by a disseminated gonoccocal disease?
Inflammatory response to the infection and by that time the infection would have already cleared so would not be able to make a diagnosis of what the lesions contained
What does it mean for a gram stain to be negative?
The organism is gram -
What media used to culture GC? What to note?
Chocolate agar (would be negative on blood agar plate)
Result of nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT) from rectal, oral, or urogenital swabs for GC? How does it work?
Positive for both GC and chlamydia if both present (PCR-based to test DNA)
Why is it hard to diagnose females with GC infection?
Because false positives in cultures and swabs very common since other gram - diplococci are normal flora
What are patients infection with N. gonorrhoeae often co-infected with?
C. trachomatis
How to screen for syphilis?
RPR or VDRL
What is an indication for HIV counseling?
History of risky sexual behavior