GONOCOCCAL-W SEROGROUPS IN SCANDINAVIA - A STUDY WITH POLYCLONAL AND MONOCLONAL-ANTIBODIES

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  • 1 January 1983
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 91  (5) , 293-305
Abstract
Gonococcal strains (849) from 659 patients in Copenhagen (Denmark), Helsinki (Finland), Oslo and Trondheim (Norway) and Stockholm (Sweden) were included in the study. Using coagglutination reagents with polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies, the strains were serogrouped into the previously described gonococcal serogroups W I, W II and W III. WII strains predominated in all 5 towns (60.0-70.9% of the strains); W III strains were rarely isolated. W I strains were more frequent among women than among men. With the monoclonal reagents, W I, W II and W III strains could be further subdivided into 12, 29 and 2 different serovariants (serovars), respectively. One of the W I serovars was predominated (76-94% of W I strains) in all 5 towns: apart from this serovar, only 3-5 other W I serovars were seen in each town. Of W II strains, a greater variety of serovars was seen: among 6 in Trondheim and 17 in Oslo, no 1 strain predominated. Different W II serovar patterns were found in the different towns. Even between the 2 participating laboratories in each of the towns, Oslo and Helsinki, differences were noted. The epidemiological value of this is discussed. Of 11 .beta.-lactamase-producing gonococcal strains isolated, 10 belonged to unusual serovars. None of the monoclonal coagglutination patterns corresponded to a single polyclonal pattern. There were some relations between the 2 systems. In earlier studies it was shown that in smaller Swedish towns W I strains dominated. A hypothesis about protective anti-protein I antibodies is discussed to explain the differences in distribution of W I and W II strains between smaller and larger towns and between women and men.