Serum antibody responses to toxic shock syndrome (TSS) toxin 1 (TSST-1) and staphylococcal enterotoxins A, B, and C were determined by western blot (immunoblot) analysis of acute- and convalescent-phase paired sera from 18 TSS- and 31 non-TSS-associated Staphylococcus aureus infections. Compared with non-TSS cases, seroconversion to TSST-1 was significantly more frequent among both menstrual (5...

INTRODUCTION A group version of the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST-G) was introduced as a standardized, economic and efficient tool to induce a psychobiological stress response simultaneously in a group of subjects. The aim of the present study was to examine the efficacy of the TSST-G to repeatedly induce an affective and autonomic stress response while comparing two alternative protocols for ...

A number of different laboratory procedures investigate the hormonal response in a standardized pharmacological challenge test (dexamethasone-corticotropin releasing hormone; DEX-CRH) or psychosocial stress induction on hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenocortical axis by Trier Social Stress Test (TSST). However, magnitude related to stressors and interaction responsiveness between two tests is still ...

The production of staphylococcal exfoliative toxin A (ETA) and toxin B (ETB), toxic shock syndrome toxin (TSST-1), and enterotoxins A-E was analyzed in 60 Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated from children with scalded skin syndrome (15 with generalized exfoliative syndrome, 28 with bullous impetigo, and 17 with staphylococcal scarlet fever). All strains isolated from patients with generalize...

The trier social stress test (TSST) is a well-established laboratory stressor leading to a robust activation of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Existing control conditions are often not adequate to investigate participants' behavior during the situation as participants are often left alone in the room. This present study aimed to evaluate a friendly version of the TSST as control...

The bacterial superantigens (SAg), toxic shock syndrome toxin-1 (TSST-1) and staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB), are powerful T-cell stimulators, triggering systemic release of lymphokines causing lethal shock in D-galactosamine (D-Gal)-sensitized mice. We show that pretreatment with recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (rhG-CSF) protects mice against T-cell-mediated SAg-shoc...

The "Trier Social Stress Test" (TSST) is one of the most prominent laboratory stress paradigms. It is often used to investigate the effects of stress on cognitive or affective parameters. Such studies need a non-stress control condition. However, control conditions currently employed are often rather ill defined and do not parallel important modulating variables, e.g., physical or cognitive loa...

We present evidence that toxic shock syndrome toxin 1 (TSST-1) induces the production of high levels of TNF by human blood monocytes. Enriched lymphocyte preparations incubated with the staphylococcal toxin produced significant levels of TNF-like activity that is not neutralized by anti-rHuTNF antibodies and is likely to be lymphotoxin (LT or TNF-beta). We demonstrate also that TSST-1 is a pote...

The production of toxic shock syndrome toxin-1 (TSST-1) was studied in batch and continuous culture of Staphylococcus aureus strain 1169 in a carbohydrate-free chemically defined medium (CDM). In continuous culture oxygen- and arginine-limitation were required for steady-state TSST-1 synthesis. Aeration suppressed toxin synthesis. The amount of TSST-1 per mg dry weight (specific toxin) at dilut...

In 2008, an unusual strain of methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA68111), producing both Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL) and toxic shock syndrome toxin-1 (TSST-1), was isolated from a fatal case of necrotizing pneumonia. Because PVL/TSST-1 co-production in S. aureus is rare, we characterized the molecular organization of these toxin genes in strain 68111. MSSA68111 carries the PV...