Abstract
The impressive resurgence of severe invasive group A streptococcal (GAS) infections in the late 1980s (1, 2). has lead to the classification of streptococcal toxic shock syndrome (STSS) (3). Streptococcal pyrogenic exotoxins (Spes) are believed to play a central role in the pathogenesis of STSS (reviewed in 4, 5). The Spes belong to the family of microbial superantigens (6) which are known to induce massive production of inflammatory cytokines. Overproduction, or in vivo administration, of inflammatory cytokines has been shown to induce many of the symptoms associated with STSS including fever, hypotension, and multiorgan failure (reviewed in 4).
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Cone, LA, Woodard, DR, Schlievert, PM, and Tomory, GS. 1987. Clinical and bacteriological observations of a toxic shock-like syndrome due to Streptococcus pyogenes. N. Engl. J. Med., 3:146–149.
Stevens, DL, Tanner, MH, Winship, J, Swarts, R, Ries. KM, Schlievert, PM, and Kaplan, E. 1989. Severe group A streptococcal infections associated with a toxic shock-like syndrome and scarlet fever toxin A. N. Engl. J. Med., 321:1–7.
The Working Group on Severe Streptococcal Infections. 1993. Defining the group A streptococcal toxic shock syndrome. Rationale and consensus definition. JAMA, 269:390–1.
Kotb, M. 1995. Bacterial exotoxins as superantigens. Clin. Microbiol. Rev., 8:411–426.
Schlievert, PM. 1993. Role of superantigens in human diseases. J. Infect. Dis., 167:997–1002.
Tomai, M, Schlievert, PM, and Kotb, M. 1992. Distinct T Cell receptor Vß Gene usage by human T lymphocytes stimulated with the streptococcal pyrogenic exotoxins and M protein. Infect. Immun., 60:701–5.
Watanabe-Ohnishi, R, Low, DE, McGeer, A, Stevens, DL, Schlievert, PM, Newton, D, Schwartz, B, Kreiswirth, B, project, Oss, and Kotb, M. 1995. Selective Depletion of Vß-bearing T cells in patients with severe invasive group A streptococcal infections and streptococcal toxic shock syndrome. J. Infect. Dis., 171: 74–84.
Michie, C, Scott, A, Cheesbrough, J, Beverley, P, and Pasvol, G. 1994. Streptococcal toxic shock-like syndrome: evidence of superantigen activity and its effect on T lymphocyte subsets in vivo. Clin. Exp. Immunol., 98:140–144.
Takei, S, Arora, YK, and Walker, SM. 1993. Intravenous immunoglobulin contains specific antibodies inhibitory to activation of T cells by staphylococcal toxin superantigens. J. Clin. Invest., 91:602–7.
Skansen-Saphir, U, Andersson, J, Bjork, L, and Andersson, U. 1994. Lymphokine production induced by streptococcal pyrogenic exotoxin-A is selectively down-regulated by pooled human IgG. Eur. J. Immunol., 24:916–22.
Norrby-Teglund, A, Kaul, R, Low, DE, McGeer, A, Andersson, JP, Andersson, UG, and Kotb, M. 1996. Plasma from patients with severe invasive group A streptococcal infections treated with polyspeciflc IgG (IVIG) inhibits streptococcal superantigen-induced T cell proliferation and cytokine production. J. Immunol., 156:3057–3064.
Norrby-Teglund, A, Kaul, R, Low, DE. McGeer, A, Andersson, JP, Andersson, UG, and Kotb, M. 1996. Evidence for the presence of streptococcal superantigen neutralizing antibidies in normal polyspecific Ig G (IVIG). Infect. Immun., (in press).
Kaul, R, McGeer, A, group, Canadian Infectious Disease Society, Norrby-Teglund, A, Kotb, M, and Low, DE. 1995. Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) therapy in streptococcal toxic shock syndrome (STSS): results of a matched case-control study. 35th Interscience conference on antimicrobial agents and chemotherapy, LM68 (Abstr.).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1997 Springer Science+Business Media New York
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Norrby-Teglund, A., Low, D.E., McGeer, A., Kotb, M. (1997). Superantigenic Activity Produced by Group A Streptococcal Isolates is Neutralized by Plasma from IVIG-Treated Streptococcal Toxic Shock Snydrome Patients. In: Horaud, T., Bouvet, A., Leclercq, R., de Montclos, H., Sicard, M. (eds) Streptococci and the Host. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 418. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-1825-3_130
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-1825-3_130
Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA
Print ISBN: 978-1-4899-1827-7
Online ISBN: 978-1-4899-1825-3
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive