Objective: Using molecular epidemiology methods to investigate relationship between genotypes and drug-resistance of neisseria (N.) gonorrhoeae in Shanghai area.
Methods: A random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) fingerprint method at the molecular level was used to differentiate the strains which were isolated from the outpatients of sexually transmitted disease clinics. The sensitivity to antibiotic of the 78 N. gonorrhoeae strains on 9 different antibiotics was tested and the relationship between different genotypes and phenotypes was studied.
Results: Selected RAPD primer could give out a group of amplification polymerase chain reaction bands with some main segments common to all the N. gonorrhoeae strains tested and some segments were different among the N. gonorrhoeae strains. All the 78 N. gonorrhoeae strains could be classified as three different groups (I, II and III). The strains could also be distinguished as four types (A, B, C and D) according to drug-resistance status. Using correspondence analysis method, the relationship between the three genotypes and four resistance types could be identified.
Conclusion: RAPD fingerprint seemed a useful genotyping method and could be used for molecular epidemiological studies.