Department of Microbiology, New York University School of Medicine, United States.
Curr Opin Microbiol. 2013 Feb;16(1):63-9. doi: 10.1016/j.mib.2013.01.012.
The success of Staphylococcus aureus as a leading cause of deadly hospital-acquired and community-acquired infections is attributed to its high-level resistance to most antibiotics, and the multitude of virulence factors it elaborates. Most clinical isolates produce up to four bi-component pore-forming toxins capable of lysing cells of the immune system. Subtle differences in activity and target range of each leukotoxin suggest that these toxins are not redundant, but instead may have specialized functions in attacking and/or evading host defenses. In turn, the host has developed countermeasures recognizing sublytic levels of leukotoxins as signals to activate protective immune defenses. The opposing cytotoxic and immune-activating effects of leukotoxins on host cells make for a complex dynamic between S. aureus and the host.
金黄色葡萄球菌之所以成为导致致命医院获得性和社区获得性感染的主要原因，是因为它对大多数抗生素具有高水平的耐药性，并且它还产生了多种毒力因子。大多数临床分离株可产生多达四种双组分成孔毒素，能够裂解免疫系统的细胞。每种白细胞毒素的活性和靶范围的细微差异表明，这些毒素并非冗余，而是可能在攻击和/或逃避宿主防御方面具有专门的功能。反过来，宿主已经开发出了对策，将亚致死水平的白细胞毒素识别为激活保护性免疫防御的信号。白细胞毒素对宿主细胞的细胞毒性和免疫激活作用形成了金黄色葡萄球菌与宿主之间的复杂动态关系。
