Abstract |
Menstrual toxic shock syndrome (MTSS) is a severe toxin-mediated disease associated with Staphylococcus aureus producing toxic shock syndrome toxin 1 (TSST-1), a superantigen that mediates a potent activation of Vβ-2 T cells. In animal models, superantigen treatment of responsive T cells induces their initial proliferation, followed by unresponsiveness upon further superantigen stimulation. To determine whether T cell unresponsiveness occurs in humans during the acute phase of MTSS, we collected T cells from a patient with MTSS and restimulated them ex vivo with recombinant TSST-1. The expansion of T cells collected during the acute phase of disease was compared with positive controls including basal-state T cells (collected 70 days after MTSS) restimulated with TSST-1, and T cells stimulated with enterotoxin B superantigen. We found that TSST-1-induced expansion of acute phase T cells was not inferior to that observed in positive controls. We conclude that T cells were still reactive to TSST-1 during the acute phase of MTSS in this patient. As the persistence of TSST-1 production could thus be associated with further expansion of TSST-1-reactive T cells and a rapid worsening of symptoms, this study adds further support to the need for immediate eradication of the focus of infection as soon as MTSS is suspected.
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Authors | Jean-Philippe Rasigade, Damien Thomas, Thomas Perpoint, Dominique Peyramond, Christian Chidiac, Jerome Etienne, François Vandenesch, Gerard Lina, Tristan Ferry |
Journal | FEMS immunology and medical microbiology
(FEMS Immunol Med Microbiol)
Vol. 62
Issue 3
Pg. 368-71
(Aug 2011)
ISSN: 1574-695X [Electronic] England |
PMID | 21492259
(Publication Type: Case Reports, Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
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Copyright | © 2011 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by Blackwell Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved. |
Chemical References |
- Bacterial Toxins
- Enterotoxins
- Superantigens
- enterotoxin F, Staphylococcal
- enterotoxin B, staphylococcal
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Topics |
- Adolescent
- Bacterial Toxins
(immunology)
- Cells, Cultured
- Enterotoxins
(immunology)
- Female
- Flow Cytometry
- Humans
- Leukocytes, Mononuclear
(immunology)
- Lymphocyte Activation
- Menstruation
- Shock, Septic
(immunology)
- Staphylococcal Infections
(immunology)
- Staphylococcus aureus
(immunology, metabolism)
- Superantigens
(immunology)
- T-Lymphocytes
(cytology, immunology)
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