These tools will no longer be maintained as of December 31, 2024. Archived website can be found here. PubMed4Hh GitHub repository can be found here. Contact NLM Customer Service if you have questions.


PUBMED FOR HANDHELDS

Search MEDLINE/PubMed


  • Title: egc-Encoded superantigens from Staphylococcus aureus are neutralized by human sera much less efficiently than are classical staphylococcal enterotoxins or toxic shock syndrome toxin.
    Author: Holtfreter S, Bauer K, Thomas D, Feig C, Lorenz V, Roschack K, Friebe E, Selleng K, Lövenich S, Greve T, Greinacher A, Panzig B, Engelmann S, Lina G, Bröker BM.
    Journal: Infect Immun; 2004 Jul; 72(7):4061-71. PubMed ID: 15213151.
    Abstract:
    PCR was employed to determine the presence of all known superantigen genes (sea, seq, and tst) and of the exotoxin-like gene cluster (set) in 40 Staphylococcus aureus isolates from blood cultures and throat swabs; 28 isolates harbored superantigen genes, five on average, and this strictly correlated with their ability to stimulate T-cell proliferation. In contrast, the set gene cluster was detected in every S. aureus strain, suggesting a nonredundant function for these genes which is different from T-cell activation. No more than 10% of normal human serum samples inhibited the T-cell stimulation elicited by egc-encoded enterotoxins (staphylococcal enterotoxins G, I, M, N, and O), whereas between 32 and 86% neutralized the classical superantigens. Similarly, intravenous human immunoglobulin G preparations inhibited egc-encoded superantigens with 10- to 100-fold-reduced potency compared with the classical enterotoxins. Thus, there are surprisingly large gaps in the capacity of human serum samples to neutralize S. aureus superantigens.
    [Abstract] [Full Text] [Related] [New Search]