Induction of human interleukin-1 by a product of Staphylococcus aureus associated with toxic shock syndrome.

Certain strains of Staphylococcus aureus associated with toxic shock syndrome elaborate material that induces human blood monocytes to secrete interleukin-1 (IL-1). IL-1 was detected both by its ability to cause fever in rabbits using the leukocytic pyrogen (LP) assay and by its mitogenic activity towards thymocytes in the so-called lymphocyte-activating factor (LAF) assay. Anti-human IL-1 prevents the manifestation of both activities. Filtrates of control strains of S. aureus manifest neither activity. Thus, culture filtrates derived from toxic shock syndrome (TSS)-associated strains cause biphasic fever in rabbits when injected intravenously. The fever lasts several hours. Plasma taken at the peak of the fever and injected into a second set of rabbits produces a brief monophasic fever typical of LP. Further, human monocytes release LP when incubated with TSS filtrates in vitro. The monocyte products also stimulate the proliferation of mouse thymocytes in the presence of phytohemagglutinin in a manner characteristic of LAF. A bacterial filtrate is much less effective without an intermediate incubation with monocytes. The stimulation of monocyte IL-1 production is easily quantified, provides a simple method of assaying the TSS toxin, and since it involves human cells, is directly relevant to the human disease. The assay was used to monitor the purification of TSS toxin. Only 0.1 ng/ml of the purified material is required to induce monocyte IL-1 production. It is thus more potent than endotoxin. In contrast to endotoxin, its effect is not blocked by polymyxin B. We conclude that in TSS the sudden fever and probably other components of the acute phase response may be attributed to a massive release of IL-1.