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. 1992 May;60(5):1767–1770. doi: 10.1128/iai.60.5.1767-1770.1992

Separation of T-cell-stimulating activity from streptococcal M protein.

B Fleischer 1, K H Schmidt 1, D Gerlach 1, W Köhler 1
PMCID: PMC257071  PMID: 1563763

Abstract

The superantigenic properties of M protein type 5 of Streptococcus pyogenes have been implicated as an important pathogenicity factor in streptococcal autoimmune diseases. Here we show that after a single purification step by affinity chromatography on immobilized albumin or fibrinogen, M protein has no mitogenic activity for T cells. We demonstrate that the superantigenicity of M proteins of type 5 and type 1 is due to contamination with the highly potent pyrogenic exotoxins of S. pyogenes in the range of 0.1 to 0.01%. These results raise a general caveat for work with these extremely active T-cell mitogens, because the mitogenicity of other streptococcal or staphylococcal proteins could be due to similar minute contamination with potent superantigens that are undetectable by any biochemical method but extremely effective in stimulating sensitive T cells.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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