We tested 187 strains of coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS) for the production of toxic shock syndrome toxin 1 (TSST-1). A total of 111 CNS strains were isolated from the tampons of menstruating women and 74 were isolated from unused tampons. Two strains were isolated from the genital tract of a patient with toxic shock syndrome. Strains were cultivated by the membrane-over-agar method to e...

A toxic shock syndrome isolate of Staphylococcus aureus was grown in a chemostat, in a defined synthetic medium of six amino acids, glucose, two vitamins and salts. Steady states were achieved under limiting and replete Mg2+ conditions and at a range of relative specific growth rates. The biomass and toxic shock syndrome toxin-1 (TSST-1) were estimated at each condition. Under Mg2+ limitation t...

OBJECTIVE To test whether a brief mindfulness meditation training intervention buffers self-reported psychological and neuroendocrine responses to the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) in young adult volunteers. A second objective evaluates whether pre-existing levels of dispositional mindfulness moderate the effects of brief mindfulness meditation training on stress reactivity. METHODS Sixty-s...

Superantigens (SAGs) bind simultaneously to major histocompatibility complex (MHC) and T-cell receptor (TCR) molecules, resulting in the massive release of inflammatory cytokines that can lead to toxic shock syndrome (TSS) and death. A major causative agent of TSS is toxic shock syndrome toxin-1 (TSST-1), which is unique relative to other bacterial SAGs owing to its structural divergence and it...

Since the 1990s there have only been a few studies with human subjects that focused on the underlying mechanisms associated with acute psychological stress exposure and even less have been conducted with children. Based on the idea that it is possible to elicit and measure behavioral and physiological patterns in response to stressors in a short period of time, the Trier Social Stress Test (TSS...

Toxic shock syndrome toxin 1 (TSST-1) is a member of the staphylococcal enterotoxin superantigen family. So far, little is known about T-cell epitopes on superantigens. In this study, we developed an improved method for localizing T-cell epitopes on superantigens that involved synthetic peptides plus costimulation by CD28 or phorbol myristate acetate. Using this method, we localized a T-cell ep...

In the emotion regulation process more than one strategy is often used, though studies continue to rely on manipulation of alone. This study compares effects Combined Cognitive Reappraisal (CCR: acceptance and reappraise via perspective-taking) suppression using Trier Social Stress Test (TSST). One hundred participants were randomly assigned two groups subjective, physiological, behavioural dat...

Menstrually associated toxic shock syndrome (TSS) is attributed primarily to the effects of staphylococcal exotoxin toxic shock syndrome toxin 1 (TSST-1). A region of the 194-amino-acid toxin spanning residues 115 through 144 constitutes a biologically active site. Several point mutations in the TSST-1 gene in that region result in gene products with reduced mitogenic activity for murine T cell...

Toxic shock syndrome toxin 1 (TSST-1) is a member of the staphylococcal enterotoxin superantigen family. So far, little is known about T-cell epitopes on superantigens. In this study, we developed an improved method for localizing T-cell epitopes on superantigens that involved synthetic peptides plus costimulation by CD28 or phorbol myristate acetate. Using this method, we localized a T-cell ep...

A syringe method was designed to test the effect of tampons on the growth of three toxic shock syndrome-associated strains of Staphylococcus aureus and their in vitro production of toxic shock syndrome toxin 1 (TSST-1) under different conditions. Various amounts of TSST-1 were recovered from different tampons inoculated with these strains. Generally, the addition of 10% porcine blood to the gro...