BACKGROUND Burn wounds lack normal barriers that protect against pathogenic bacteria, and burn patients are easily colonized and infected by Staphylococcus aureus. Toxic shock syndrome (TSS) is a rare but fatal disease caused by S. aureus. A lack of detectable antibodies to TSS toxin-1 (TSST-1) in serum indicates susceptibility to TSS. METHODS A total of 207 patients (169 men and 38 women; me...

The superantigenic function of toxic shock syndrome toxin 1 (TSST-1) is generally regarded as an important determinant of its lethal effects in humans or experimental animals. This study examined the role of superantigenicity in a BALB/c mouse model of lethal TSST-1-induced hypersensitivity to lipopolysaccharide (LPS). In this model, TSST-1 greatly potentiated both LPS-induced lethality, as wel...

A toxic shock syndrome toxin 1 (TSST-1) antibody-binding protein produced by an ovine-associated strain of Staphylococcus aureus was examined. The protein showed total identity to TSST-1 by immunodiffusion analysis. Western blots (immunoblots) of proteins separated by isoelectric focusing revealed that the TSST-1 antibody-binding protein had a pI of 8.6 rather than 7.0, the pI of standard TSST-1.

A toxic shock syndrome toxin (TSST) variant with an isoelectric point (pI) of 8.6 produced by an ovine-associated Staphylococcus aureus strain was described previously. Analysis of additional strains associated with sheep, goats, cows, and humans by isoelectric focusing with immunoblotting using monoclonal antibodies revealed that all 18 strains associated with sheep and all 12 strains associat...

Staphylococcus aureus initiates infections and produces virulence factors, including superantigens (SAgs), at mucosal surfaces. The SAg, Toxic Shock Syndrome Toxin-1 (TSST-1) induces cytokine secretion from epithelial cells, antigen presenting cells (APCs) and T lymphocytes, and causes toxic shock syndrome (TSS). This study investigated the mechanism of TSST-1-induced secretion of proinflammato...

The Staphylococcus aureus exotoxin toxic shock syndrome toxin 1 (TSST-1) is a potent activator of T cells and monocytes. We have recently demonstrated that TSST-1 is a superantigen that binds monomorphic determinants on MHC class II molecules. In the present study, we have examined the effect of TSST-1 on the activation and differentiation of high density human tonsillar B cells. TSST-1 bound t...

Toxic shock syndrome toxin 1 (TSST-1) is a 22-kDa exotoxin produced by strains of Staphylococcus aureus and implicated in the pathogenesis of toxic shock syndrome. In common with other staphylococcal exotoxins, TSST-1 has diverse immunological effects. These include the induction of interleukin 2 receptor expression, interleukin 2 synthesis, proliferation of human T lymphocytes, and stimulation...

objective : the aim of study was to develop a rapid assay, dye labelled monoclonal antibody assay (dlmaa), using non-radioactive organic synthetic dyes for identification of toxic shock syndrome toxin-1 (tsst-1) producing strains of staphylococcus aureus. materials and methods: the assay protocol required only two simple steps; addition of tsst-1 antigen to a nitrocellulose membrane and then ad...