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Serological Response to Toxic Shock syndrome Toxin in Staphylococcus Aureus Infected Pathients and Healthy Controls
Author(s) -
Christensson Bertil,
Hedström Sven Åke
Publication year - 1985
Publication title -
acta pathologica microbiologica scandinavica series b: microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.909
H-Index - 88
eISSN - 1600-0463
pISSN - 0108-0180
DOI - 10.1111/j.1699-0463.1985.tb02857.x
Subject(s) - toxic shock syndrome , staphylococcus aureus , medicine , serology , antibody , shock (circulatory) , population , toxin , immunology , gastroenterology , physiology , microbiology and biotechnology , biology , bacteria , environmental health , genetics
The prevalence of antibodies to Toxic Shock Syndrome Toxin (TSST‐1) in a Swedish healthy control population was investigated using an enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). 88% of the control group above the age of 10 showed positive antibody levels as compared to 31% of those who were under 10 years old. These results indicate a very common normal exposure to TSST‐1 during early life and also identify the small risk‐group of potential TSS‐patients. Patients with S. aureus endocarditis and septicemia showed slightly higher antibody levels as compared to the controls (p< 0.05). The difference was in part due to 3/4 septicemia patients, infected with TSST‐1 producing strains, who showed very high antibody levels. None of these 4 patients developed any signs of TSS. 5/5 menstrual associated TSS‐patients were negative in the ELISA in serial serum samples as were 3/5 non‐menstrual associated TSS‐patients. The TSST‐1 ELISA is proposed for identifying chiefly young women at risk of acquiring menstrual related Toxic Shock Syndrome.