Bremell T, Tarkowski A
Department of Clinical Immunology, University of Göteborg, Sweden.
Infect Immun. 1995 Oct;63(10):4185-7. doi: 10.1128/iai.63.10.4185-4187.1995.
Staphylococcal enterotoxins A through D (SEA through SED) and toxic shock syndrome toxin-1 display superantigen properties, i.e., they stimulate a great fraction of T cells expressing certain T-cell receptor V beta sequences. Using a newly established rat model of septic Staphylococcus aureus arthritis, we have recently shown that an S. aureus strain producing SEA showed marked arthritogenic properties. In the present study we decided to employ another five S. aureus strains, each one producing a distinct exotoxin. Almost all rats injected with superantigen-producing strains developed arthritis. In contrast, only 20% of rats injected with an S. aureus strain lacking superantigen production displayed mild and transient arthritis. Mortality was preferentially induced among the rats inoculated with the S. aureus strains producing SEB and SED. This study emphasizes that superantigen production is an important virulence factor in the development of septic S. aureus arthritis. Differences concerning mortality between staphylococcal strains producing different exotoxins may be dependent on the degree of activation of the immune system.
金黄色葡萄球菌肠毒素A至D（SEA至SED）以及中毒性休克综合征毒素-1具有超抗原特性，即它们能刺激很大一部分表达特定T细胞受体Vβ序列的T细胞。利用新建立的金黄色葡萄球菌败血症性关节炎大鼠模型，我们最近发现一株产生SEA的金黄色葡萄球菌菌株具有显著的致关节炎特性。在本研究中，我们决定使用另外五株金黄色葡萄球菌菌株，每株产生一种独特的外毒素。几乎所有注射了产生超抗原菌株的大鼠都患上了关节炎。相比之下，仅20%注射了缺乏超抗原产生的金黄色葡萄球菌菌株的大鼠出现了轻微且短暂的关节炎。在接种了产生SEB和SED的金黄色葡萄球菌菌株的大鼠中，死亡率更高。本研究强调，超抗原产生是金黄色葡萄球菌败血症性关节炎发展过程中的一个重要毒力因子。产生不同外毒素的葡萄球菌菌株之间在死亡率方面的差异可能取决于免疫系统的激活程度。
