Oligonucleotide Microchip for the Identification of Infectious Agents of Reproductive System with Simultaneous Analysis of Determinants of Resistance to Antimicrobial Substances

We developed a multiplexed DNA microarray-based assay allowing identification of 12 causative agents of reproductive tract infections with the simultaneous detection of 47 genetic determinants of resistance to antimicrobial substances. The microarray was tested on 93 isolates of Neisseria gonorrhoeae, 32 isolates of Treponema pallidum and 29 samples of Ureaplasma spp./Mycoplasma spp. The N. gonorrhoeae isolates had multiple mutations in the penA, ponA, rpsJ, gyrA, parC, and mtrR genes; their prognostic value significantly increased when combinations of mutations were detected. In the analyzed T. pallidum isolates, single A2058G substitution in the 23S rRNA gene responsible for macrolide resistance was found. DNA sequences of Ureaplasma spp./Mycoplasma spp. were determined as wild type, which was not fully consistent with the results of analysis of their antimicrobial susceptibility.

Drug Resistance Mechanisms in Bacteria Causing Sexually Transmitted Diseases and Associated with Vaginosis

Here, we review sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) caused by pathogenic bacteria and vaginal infections which result from an overgrowth of opportunistic bacterial microflora. First, we describe the STDs, the corresponding pathogens and the antimicrobials used for their treatment. In addition to the well-known diseases caused by single pathogens (i.e., syphilis, gonococcal infections, and chlamydiosis), we consider polymicrobial reproductive tract infections (especially those that are difficult to effectively clinically manage). Then, we summarize the biochemical mechanisms that lead to antimicrobial resistance and the most recent data on the emergence of drug resistance in STD pathogens and bacteria associated with vaginosis. A large amount of research performed in the last 10-15 years has shed light on the enormous diversity of mechanisms of resistance developed by bacteria. A detailed understanding of the mechanisms of antimicrobials action and the emergence of resistance is necessary to modify existing drugs and to develop new ones directed against new targets.