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An enzyme immunoassay (Gonozyme; Abbott Laboratories, North Chicago, Ill.) for detection of Neisseria gonorrhoeae antigens was used to screen 184 urethral or uncentrifuged first-voided urine or both specimens from males and 78 cervical specimens. When compared with culture, the sensitivity and specificity of Gonozyme for cervical and urethral specimens were comparable to those in published reports. The sensitivity and specificity for urine specimens were 91.6 and 97.9%, respectively.

An earlier technique for culturing of Neisseria gonorrhoeae from uncentrifuged first-voided urine from males demonstrated a sensitivity of 92-99% as compared with the gram stain of urethral exudate and the urethral swab culture. In this study the utility of urine as a holding medium for N. gonorrhoeae was tested. Determination of a reliable minimal survival time for N. gonorrhoeae in urine was made by collection of 2-60 ml of first-voided urine prior to treatment from 97 men known to have genitourinary gonorrhea. The urine specimens were held at room temperature (approximately 22 C), while separate modified Thayer-Martin culture plates were inoculated from each specimen immediately after collection and at carefully timed intervals up to 48 hr afterward. N. gonorrhoeae was recovered from 95% of the urine specimens for up to 12 hr after the specimens were collected.