Control and preventive measures for gonococcal infections are based on precise epidemiological characteristics of N. gonorrhoeae isolates. In the present study the potential utility of opa-typing and ribotyping for molecular epidemiological study of consecutive gonococcal strains was determined. Sixty gonococcal isolates were subjected to ribotyping with two restriction enzymes, AvaII and HincI...

Neisseria gonorrhoeae (GC) establishes infection at the mucosal surface of the human genital tract, most of which is lined with polarized epithelial cells. GC can cause localized as well as disseminated infections, leading to various complications. GC constantly change their surface structures via phase and antigenic variation, which has been implicated as a means for GC to establish infection ...

The immunoglobulin-like family of CD66 antigens, present on human neutrophils and epithelial cells, are used as receptors for adhesins expressed by the pathogenic Neisseriae. N. gonorrhoeae strain MS11 can express 11 isoforms of these adhesins, called opacity-related (Opa) proteins. Each MS11 Opa protein recognizes a distinct spectrum of CD66 receptors. CD66-Opa binding is mediated by the NH(2)...

Background: Occupational physical activity (OPA) is prevalent in the general population. However, its influence on the health status of manual workers is unclear. This study examined the impact of OPA on the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of vocational-skilled workers (VSWs) in Nigeria.  Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 354 male VSWs from six cities in...

The opacity (Opa) proteins mediate a variety of interactions between the bacterium Neisseria meningitidis and its human host. These interactions are thought to be of central importance in both the asymptomatic colonization of the nasopharynx and the sporadic occurrence of meningococcal disease. The receptor specificities of a limited number of Opa protein variants have been explored, but the hi...

During natural infection, gonococcal opacity proteins (Opa) undergo rapid phase variation, but how this phenomenon contributes to the virulence of the bacteria is not well understood. In the present immunomorphological study we examined the actual Opa status of individual gonococci during various stages of gonococcal infection of Chang epithelial cells, by probing ultrathin sections of infected...

Neisseria gonorrhoeae strain MS11 is able to express 11 different opacity (Opa) proteins on its outer surface. A number of these Opa proteins have been shown to function as adhesins through binding of CD66 receptors present on human cells. CD66 antigens, or carcinoembryonic antigen family members, constitute a family of glycoproteins belonging to the immunoglobulin superfamily. Opa variants rec...

OBJECTIVES To determine the relationship between occupational physical activity (OPA) and chronic disease after controlling for leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) and other risk factors. METHODS Using cycle 2.1 of the Canadian Community Health Survey, OPA energy expenditure was derived. The association of OPA with any self-reported chronic disease, heart disease or diabetes was determined ...

Oil palm ash (OPA), a bio-agricultural waste from oil palm mills, was subjected to high-energy ball milling for 30 h and was converted into a nano-structured material. The nano-structured OPA was characterized for its particle size and crystallinity index by using Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and X-ray Diffraction (XRD) analysis. The crystallite size obtained from TEM and XRD was foun...

The aim of the present study was to compare the ocular pulse amplitude (OPA) in patients with different types of glaucoma using dynamic contour tonometry (DCT), to evaluate ocular and systemic factors associated with the OPA and to verify whether OPA measured by DCT is an independent predictor for glaucoma diagnosis. A total of 217 eyes of 217 participants in the following five groups were incl...