TY - JOUR
T1 - Effect of attachment factors (pili plus Opa) on Neisseria gonorrhoeae invasion of human fallopian tube tissue in vitro
T2 - quantitation by computerized image analysis
AU - Gorby, Gary L.
AU - Schaefer, G. Bradley
N1 - Funding Information:
Statistical analysis . Statistical analyses were carried out with the aid of three computerized software packages : SYSTAT 5 .0 (SYSTAT, Inc ., Evanston, IL), Statpal (Marcel Dekker, Inc ., New York, NY) and Confidence Interval Analysis (British Medical Journal, London, England) . The data were analysed for skewness and kurtosis and displayed by box plots to look for departures from a normal distribution . 34 When normality of the data with similar intergroup variances was not confirmed, non-parametric statistical methods were employed .36.36 The authors wish to thank Dr L. J . Legino, Dr R. Taylor, Dr J . F. Fitzgibbons, Dr L. E. Roffman, Dr M . Hapke, Dr T. Smyrk, Dr M . J . Casey, Dr G . Monif and Dr C. Bewtra for their cooperation with these studies . This work was supported through Research Advisory Group funds from The Department of Veterans Affairs and a Health Future Foundation Faculty Development Award through Creighton University .
PY - 1992/8
Y1 - 1992/8
N2 - Pili (P) and opacity-associated proteins (Opa) facilitate Neisseria gonorrhoeae attachment to human fallopian tube epithelium. Subsequent effects on invasion are unproven. Computerized image analysis was used to study the effects of attachment factors on invasion by comparing a P+Opa+ variant to a P-Opa- variant of strain R10 in the fallopian tube organ culture model. Gonococci in sections of infected fallopian tube tissue were identified with FITC-labelled monoclonal anti-gonococcal antibodies. Nomarski DIC microscopy was used to establish anatomic boundaries that excluded extracellular gonococci from invasion measurements. The area of intracellular fluorescence served as an index of gonococcal invasion. With conservative criteria to exclude extracellular gonococci, the per cent of the intracellular area occupied by fluorescent P+Opa+ gonococci was 18% compared to 4.7% for the P-Opa- variant (P <0.001). Data suggest that P+Opa+ organisms invaded deeper than P-Opa- microbes over the same time period (P = 0.029). Intra-observer variation in invasion measurements was not significant (P ≥ 0.85), and inter-observer correlation was high (correlation coefficient = 0.96). Computerized image analysis is a rapid, reliable means of quantifying gonococcal invasion of fallopian tube epithelium. We conclude that gonococcal attachment factors can facilitate events which enhance gonococcal invasion of fallopian tube epithelium.
AB - Pili (P) and opacity-associated proteins (Opa) facilitate Neisseria gonorrhoeae attachment to human fallopian tube epithelium. Subsequent effects on invasion are unproven. Computerized image analysis was used to study the effects of attachment factors on invasion by comparing a P+Opa+ variant to a P-Opa- variant of strain R10 in the fallopian tube organ culture model. Gonococci in sections of infected fallopian tube tissue were identified with FITC-labelled monoclonal anti-gonococcal antibodies. Nomarski DIC microscopy was used to establish anatomic boundaries that excluded extracellular gonococci from invasion measurements. The area of intracellular fluorescence served as an index of gonococcal invasion. With conservative criteria to exclude extracellular gonococci, the per cent of the intracellular area occupied by fluorescent P+Opa+ gonococci was 18% compared to 4.7% for the P-Opa- variant (P <0.001). Data suggest that P+Opa+ organisms invaded deeper than P-Opa- microbes over the same time period (P = 0.029). Intra-observer variation in invasion measurements was not significant (P ≥ 0.85), and inter-observer correlation was high (correlation coefficient = 0.96). Computerized image analysis is a rapid, reliable means of quantifying gonococcal invasion of fallopian tube epithelium. We conclude that gonococcal attachment factors can facilitate events which enhance gonococcal invasion of fallopian tube epithelium.
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U2 - 10.1016/0882-4010(92)90070-5
DO - 10.1016/0882-4010(92)90070-5
M3 - Article
C2 - 1360614
AN - SCOPUS:0026907371
VL - 13
SP - 93
EP - 108
JO - Microbial Pathogenesis
JF - Microbial Pathogenesis
SN - 0882-4010
IS - 2
ER -