Induction in gonococci of phenotypic resistance to killing by human serum by human genital secretions.

Cervical secretions and seminal plasmas from uninfected clinically healthy persons and vaginal exudates from patients with infections other than gonorrhoea converted gonococci susceptible to killing by fresh human serum to resistance after three hours' incubation at 37 degrees C. The inducing factors present in the genital secretions explain the serum resistance of gonococci from patients with acute urethritis. This serum resistance is lost on subculture in laboratory media but could play an important role in vivo in the survival of gonococci in the initial stages of urogenital infection when serum factors are liberated into the local infection site during inflammation.