Open AccessCoagulase‐negative staphylococci isolated from two cases of toxic shock syndrome lack superantigenic activity, but induce cytokine production
Author(s) -
Lina G.,
Fleer A.,
Etienne J.,
Greenland T.B.,
Vandenesch F.
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
fems immunology & medical microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1574-695X
pISSN - 0928-8244
DOI - 10.1111/j.1574-695x.1996.tb00219.x
Subject(s) - superantigen , microbiology and biotechnology , biology , toxic shock syndrome , enterotoxin , staphylococcus epidermidis , cytokine , peripheral blood mononuclear cell , exotoxin , bacteria , immunology , coagulase , staphylococcus aureus , staphylococcus , toxin , gene , in vitro , genetics , escherichia coli
Two strains of Staphylococcus epidermidis isolated from patients with toxic shock symptoms have been reported to carry genes related to S. aureus enterotoxins B and C by dot‐blot hybridisation, although the corresponding superantigenic toxins were not detected immunologically. We here show that these strains produce no superantigens capable of stimulating proliferation of human mononuclear leukocytes or rabbit splenocytes, and that no DNA homologous to the seb or sec genes can be detected by PCR. However, stimulation of human monocytes by whole killed bacteria induced dose‐dependent production of the cytokines TNFα, IL‐1 β and IL‐6, which may be responsible for the clinical symptoms in these patients.