Superantigens: Molecular Basis for Their Role in Human Diseases

This collection of short reviews by experts in the field provides a complete overview of microbial superantigens, an unusual family of proteins that form an abnormal linkage between the major histocompatibility complex class II antigens and specific T-cell repertoire Vβ families. This linkage leads to the nonspecific activation of large numbers of regulatory T lymphocytes, producing cytokine storms that can have a variety of serious clinical consequences.