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Updated: Aug 15, 2026
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Metal-Limited Growth of Neisseria gonorrhoeae for Characterization of Metal-Responsive Genes and Metal Acquisition from Host Ligands
Published on: March 4, 2020
Inflammatory cytokines produced in response to experimental human gonorrhea
K H Ramsey1, H Schneider, A S Cross
1Department of Bacterial Diseases, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Washington, DC, USA.
The Journal of Infectious Diseases
|July 1, 1995
Summary
Neisseria gonorrhoeae infection triggers increased inflammatory cytokines like interleukin-8 (IL-8) and IL-6 locally. These cytokine levels in urine and plasma normalize rapidly after antibiotic treatment for gonorrhea.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Microbiology
- Urology
Background:
- Neisseria gonorrhoeae is a common cause of sexually transmitted infections.
- Understanding the host immune response to gonorrhea is crucial for developing effective treatments.
- Cytokines play a key role in mediating inflammatory responses during infection.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the production of inflammatory cytokines in men challenged with Neisseria gonorrhoeae.
- To determine the temporal profile of cytokine expression in urine and plasma during gonorrhea infection.
- To differentiate between local and systemic cytokine production.
Main Methods:
- Intraurethral challenge of male volunteers with Neisseria gonorrhoeae strains.
- Measurement of cytokine levels (IL-8, IL-6, TNF-alpha, IL-1 beta) in urine and plasma.
- Analysis of cytokine mRNA transcripts in peripheral blood mononuclear cells.
- Monitoring of cytokine levels before, during, and after antibiotic therapy.
Main Results:
- Elevated levels of IL-8, IL-6, and TNF-alpha were detected in urine before symptom onset.
- IL-1 beta peaked at symptom onset, coinciding with peak IL-8 and IL-6 levels.
- Plasma cytokine levels (IL-8, TNF-alpha, IL-1 beta, IL-6) were elevated at symptom onset and normalized post-treatment.
- No significant changes in cytokine mRNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells were observed.
Conclusions:
- IL-8, IL-6, and possibly TNF-alpha are produced at the local site of Neisseria gonorrhoeae infection.
- IL-1 beta appears to be derived from infiltrating leukocytes, indicating a systemic component.
- Cytokine levels rapidly decrease following effective antibiotic treatment for gonorrhea.
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