Table 6.
Laboratory investigations in disseminated gonococcal infection
| Male (n = 51) | Female (n = 55) | P-value (M vs F) | Total (n = 106) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Microbiology positive, n (%) | ||||
| Blood culture | 15 | 10 | 0.17 | 25 (23.6%) |
| Synovial fluid PCR | 28 | 25 | 0.61 | 53 (50.0%) |
| Synovial fluid culture | 15 | 13 | 0.50 | 28 (26.4%) |
| Ascitic fluid culture | 1 | 0 | 0.33 | 1 (0.9%) |
| Urine PCR | 14 | 30 | 0.005 | 44 (41.5%) |
| Urine culture | 6 | 0 | 0.009 | 6 (5.7%) |
| Genital/urethral swab PCR | 2 | 10 | 0.02 | 12 (11.3%) |
| Genital/urethral swab culture | 1 | 3 | 0.34 | 4 (3.8%) |
| Pharynx swab PCR | 2 | 0 | 0.13 | 2 (1.9%) |
| Pharynx swab culture | 0 | 0 | – | 0 |
| Eye swab PCR | 1 | 0 | 0.30 | 1 (0.9%) |
| Eye swab culture | 1 | 0 | 0.30 | 1 (0.9%) |
| Skin swab PCR | 2 | 0 | 0.14 | 2 (1.9%) |
| Skin swab culture | 0 | 0 | – | 0 |
| > 1 positive microsite | 16 | 23 | 0.27 | 39 (36.8%) |
| Specimen tested for beta-lactamase | 31 | 27 | 58 (54.7%) | |
| Beta-lactamase negative | 25 | 27 | 0.03 | 52 |
| Arthrocentesis performed | 37 | 33 | 0.17 | 70 (66.0%) |
| Mean leukocyte count × 109/L (±SD) | 184.3 (230.6) | 118.7 (151.5) | 0.16 | 151.5 (196.4) |
| Median leukocyte count × 109/L | 136.0 | 64.0 | – | 92.1 |
| Mean % neutrophils (±SD) | 87.4 (16.8) | 86.6 (15.5) | 0.85 | 87.0 (16.1) |
| Uric acid crystals detected | 6 | 0 | 0.009 | 6 (5.6%) |
| Calcium pyrophosphate crystals detected | 1 | 0 | 0.30 | 1 (0.9%) |
| Immune function | ||||
| Tested for HIV | 41 | 41 | 0.47 | 82 (77.4%) |
| Positive for HIV | 0 | 0 | – | 0 |
| ANA tested (at any time) | 36 | 42 | 0.72 | 78 (73.6%) |
| Positive ANA | 9 | 11 | 0.76 | 19 |
| C3/C4 tested (at any time) | 16 | 20 | 0.59 | 36 (34.0%) |
| Low C3 and/or C4 | 6 | 8 | 0.67 | 14 |
PCR = polymerase chain reaction; ANA = anti-nuclear antibody. Bold values indicate P < 0.05.