LeClaire R D, Bavari S
U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Frederick, Maryland 21702-5011, USA.
Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2001 Feb;45(2):460-3. doi: 10.1128/AAC.45.2.460-463.2001.
Bacterial superantigens (BSAgs) cause massive stimulation of the immune system and are associated with various pathologies and diseases. To address the role of antibodies in protection against BSAgs, we screened the sera of 29 human volunteers for antibodies to the SAgs staphylococcal enterotoxin A (SEA), SEB, SEC1, and toxic shock syndrome toxin 1 (TSST-1). Although all volunteers had detectable levels of antibodies against SEB and SEC1, many (9 out of 29 volunteers) lacked detectable antibody to SEA or had minimal titers. Antibody titers to TSST-1 were well below those to SEB and SEC1, and three volunteers lacked detectable antibody to this BSAg. In addition, pooled immunoglobulin preparations obtained from different companies had antibody titers against SEs and TSST-1. There was a good correlation between antibody titers and inhibition of superantigenic effects of these toxins. Transfer of SEB-specific antibodies, obtained from pooled sera, suppressed in vitro T-cell proliferation and totally protected mice against SEB. These data suggest that the inhibitory activity of human sera was specific to antibodies directed against the toxins. Thus, it may be possible to counteract with specific antibodies BSAg-associated pathologies caused by stimulation of the immune system.
细菌超抗原（BSAgs）可引起免疫系统的大量刺激，并与多种病理状况和疾病相关。为了研究抗体在抵御BSAgs中的作用，我们对29名人类志愿者的血清进行了筛查，以检测其中针对超抗原葡萄球菌肠毒素A（SEA）、SEB、SEC1和中毒性休克综合征毒素1（TSST-1）的抗体。尽管所有志愿者体内都可检测到针对SEB和SEC1的抗体，但许多人（29名志愿者中有9名）缺乏可检测到的针对SEA的抗体，或者抗体滴度极低。针对TSST-1的抗体滴度远低于针对SEB和SEC1的抗体滴度，并且有三名志愿者缺乏可检测到的针对这种BSAg的抗体。此外，从不同公司获得的混合免疫球蛋白制剂具有针对SEs和TSST-1的抗体滴度。抗体滴度与这些毒素的超抗原效应抑制之间存在良好的相关性。从混合血清中获得的SEB特异性抗体的转移抑制了体外T细胞增殖，并完全保护小鼠免受SEB的侵害。这些数据表明，人血清的抑制活性对针对毒素的抗体具有特异性。因此，有可能用特异性抗体来对抗由免疫系统刺激引起的BSAg相关病理状况。
