O'Brien J, Friedlander A, Dreier T, Ezzell J, Leppla S
Infect Immun. 1985 Jan;47(1):306-10. doi: 10.1128/iai.47.1.306-310.1985.
The virulence of Bacillus anthracis has been attributed to a tripartite toxin composed of three proteins designated protective antigen, lethal factor, and edema factor. The effects of the toxin components on phagocytosis and chemiluminescence of human polymorphonuclear neutrophils were studied in vitro. Initially, it was determined that the avirulent Sterne strain of B. anthracis (radiation killed) required opsonization with either serum complement or antibodies against the Sterne cell wall to be phagocytized. Phagocytosis of the opsonized Sterne cells was not affected by the individual anthrax toxin components. However, a combination of protective antigen and edema factor inhibited Sterne cell phagocytosis and blocked both particulate and phorbol myristate acetate-induced polymorphonuclear neutrophil chemiluminescence. These polymorphonuclear neutrophil effects were reversible upon removal of the toxin components. The protective antigen-edema factor combination also increased intracellular cyclic AMP levels. These studies suggest that two of the protein components of anthrax toxin, edema factor and protective antigen, increase host susceptibility to infection by suppressing polymorphonuclear neutrophil function and impairing host resistance.
炭疽芽孢杆菌的毒力归因于一种由三种蛋白质组成的三联毒素，这三种蛋白质分别称为保护性抗原、致死因子和水肿因子。在体外研究了毒素成分对人多形核中性粒细胞吞噬作用和化学发光的影响。最初确定，无毒的炭疽芽孢杆菌斯特恩菌株（经辐射杀死）需要用血清补体或抗斯特恩细胞壁抗体进行调理后才能被吞噬。调理后的斯特恩细胞的吞噬作用不受单个炭疽毒素成分的影响。然而，保护性抗原和水肿因子的组合抑制了斯特恩细胞的吞噬作用，并阻断了颗粒和佛波酯诱导的多形核中性粒细胞化学发光。去除毒素成分后，这些多形核中性粒细胞的作用是可逆的。保护性抗原 - 水肿因子组合还增加了细胞内环磷酸腺苷水平。这些研究表明，炭疽毒素的两种蛋白质成分，即水肿因子和保护性抗原，通过抑制多形核中性粒细胞功能和损害宿主抵抗力，增加了宿主对感染的易感性。
