Tst, the gene for toxic shock syndrome toxin-1 (TSST-1), is part of a 15.2 kb genetic element in Staphylococcus aureus that is absent in TSST-1-negative strains. The prototype, in RN4282, is flanked by a 17 nucleotide direct repeat and contains genes for a second possible superantigen toxin, a Dichelobacter nodosus VapE homologue and a putative integrase. It is readily transferred to a recA rec...

BACKGROUND Psychosocial stress is accompanied by an increase in the activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA)-axis and by an increase in food intake. At present, no studies have been conducted to examine the impact of a potent laboratory stress test on the chewing frequency. METHODS Thirty-one healthy participants (14 females, mean age 27.13) were compared after they had ful...

Effects of cortisol on human mood during stress situations are still incompletely understood, although this topic has important clinical implications. In this experiment, the mood of 44 healthy young women (all oral contraceptive users) was examined. A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled time series paradigm was used. Subjects were treated with either 30-mg cortisol or placebo orally. ...

BACKGROUND The underlying mechanism of atopic dermatitis (AD) exacerbated by Staphylococcus aureus has not been established. However, we demonstrated recently that the majority of S. aureus strains colonized in the skin of Korean AD patients carried genes encoding staphylococcal enterotoxin A (SEA) and/or toxic shock syndrome toxin-1 (TSST-1). OBJECTIVE To clarify the role of staphylococcal s...

Different synthetic DNA nucleotide sequences were evaluated as gene probes for the specific detection and differentiation of Staphylococcus aureus strains encoding enterotoxins A (SEA), B (SEB), and C (SEC) and toxic shock syndrome toxin 1 (TSST-1). Identification of sequences unique to each toxin, based on knowledge of their nucleotide sequences, led to preparation of the specific 18-base olig...

Psychosocial stress is a potent activator of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. While neuroendocrine stress responses are essential for the maintenance of homeostasis, evidence suggests that excessive activation of the HPA axis constitutes a risk for disease and psychopathology. The purpose of the present study was to assess the effect of cognitive-behavioral stress management train...

Uncertainty exists with respect to the extent to which chewing gum may attenuate stress-induced rises in cortisol secretion (Johnson, Jenks, Miles, Albert, & Cox, 2011; Scholey et al., 2009; Smith, 2010). The present study used the Trier Social Stress Task (TSST: Kirschbaum, Pirke, & Hellhammer, 1993), a task known to elevate cortisol secretion (Kudielka, Schommer, Hellhammer, & Kirschbaum, 200...

OBJECTIVE Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis reactivity to acute stimulation is frequently assessed by repeated sampling of salivary cortisol. Researchers often strive to distinguish between individuals who show (responders) and those do not show (nonresponders) cortisol responses. For this, fixed threshold classification criteria, such as a 2.5-nmol/l baseline-to-peak increase, are frequently...

BACKGROUND Major depressive disorder (MDD) is often complicated by anxiety symptoms, and anxiety disorders occur in approximately 30% of mood cases. This study examined the influence of anxiety comorbidity on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis response to stress in patients with MDD. METHODS Untreated subjects with pure MDD (n = 15), MDD with comorbid anxiety disorders (n = 18), an...

Bacterial pathogens have specific virulence factors (e.g., toxins) that contribute significantly to the virulence and infectivity of microorganisms within the human hosts. Virulence factors are molecules expressed by pathogens that enable colonization, immunoevasion, and immunosuppression, obtaining nutrients from the host or gaining entry into host cells. They can cause pathogenesis by inhibit...