Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Infection and Immunity logoLink to Infection and Immunity
. 1992 Sep;60(9):3747–3755. doi: 10.1128/iai.60.9.3747-3755.1992

Immune cell lethality induced by streptococcal pyrogenic exotoxin A and endotoxin.

B A Leonard 1, P M Schlievert 1
PMCID: PMC257386  PMID: 1500185

Abstract

Streptococcal pyrogenic exotoxin (SPE) A has many effects on the immune system, including immunolethality, which is characterized by a significant decrease in circulating immune cells as well as depletion of the spleen and lymph nodes prior to death of experimental animals. In this report, characterization of the mechanism of immunolethality has been undertaken. Synergistic induction of immunolethality was observed in vitro when human lymphocytes were treated with both SPE A and lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The same effect was demonstrated in the absence of a mitogenic response with the murine T-cell receptor, as well as in the absence of antigen-presenting cells and their secreted cytokines. The addition of antigen-presenting cells did not significantly affect lethality. SPE A directly interacted with LPS through interaction with ketodeoxyoctonate as demonstrated by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and iodinated exotoxin overlays. This interaction was demonstrated to be important for immunolethality, since simultaneous addition of SPE A and LPS was required, whereas sequential addition of SPE A and LPS did not result in lethality. LPS appeared to be acting, in part, to enhance the cell-binding ability of SPE A, since SPE A could only be detected in A.E7 cell membrane preparations after simultaneous incubation with SPE A and LPS.

Full text

PDF
3747

Images in this article

3753Image
on p.3753
3754Image
on p.3754

Selected References

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

  1. Blake M. S., Johnston K. H., Russell-Jones G. J., Gotschlich E. C. A rapid, sensitive method for detection of alkaline phosphatase-conjugated anti-antibody on Western blots. Anal Biochem. 1984 Jan;136(1):175–179. doi: 10.1016/0003-2697(84)90320-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Bohach G. A., Fast D. J., Nelson R. D., Schlievert P. M. Staphylococcal and streptococcal pyrogenic toxins involved in toxic shock syndrome and related illnesses. Crit Rev Microbiol. 1990;17(4):251–272. doi: 10.3109/10408419009105728. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Cone L. A., Woodard D. R., Schlievert P. M., Tomory G. S. Clinical and bacteriologic observations of a toxic shock-like syndrome due to Streptococcus pyogenes. N Engl J Med. 1987 Jul 16;317(3):146–149. doi: 10.1056/NEJM198707163170305. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Fomsgaard A., Nielsen R., Froberg K. D., Baek L., Deghn H. K. Endotoxinaemia in toxic shock syndrome treated with anti-endotoxin antibodies. Lancet. 1987 Feb 28;1(8531):514–515. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(87)92130-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Fujiwaka H., Igarashi H., Usami H., Tanaka S., Tamura H. Clearance of endotoxin from blood of rabbits injected with staphylococcal toxic shock syndrome toxin-1. Infect Immun. 1986 Apr;52(1):134–137. doi: 10.1128/iai.52.1.134-137.1986. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. HANNA E. E., WATSON D. W. HOST-PARASITE RELATIONSHIPS AMONG GROUP A STREPTOCOCCI. 3. DEPRESSION OF RETICULOENDOTHELIAL FUNCTION BY STREPTOCOCCAL PYROGENIC EXOTOXINS. J Bacteriol. 1965 Jan;89:154–158. doi: 10.1128/jb.89.1.154-158.1965. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Hecht T. T., Longo D. L., Matis L. A. The relationship between immune interferon production and proliferation in antigen-specific, MHC-restricted T cell lines and clones. J Immunol. 1983 Sep;131(3):1049–1055. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Jackson M. A., Burry V. F., Olson L. C. Multisystem group A beta-hemolytic streptococcal disease in children. Rev Infect Dis. 1991 Sep-Oct;13(5):783–788. doi: 10.1093/clinids/13.5.783. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Janssen O., Wesselborg S., Heckl-Ostreicher B., Pechhold K., Bender A., Schondelmaier S., Moldenhauer G., Kabelitz D. T cell receptor/CD3-signaling induces death by apoptosis in human T cell receptor gamma delta + T cells. J Immunol. 1991 Jan 1;146(1):35–39. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Jett M., Seed T. M., Jamieson G. A. Isolation and characterization of plasma membranes and intact nuclei from lymphoid cells. J Biol Chem. 1977 Mar 25;252(6):2134–2142. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Keane W. F., Gekker G., Schlievert P. M., Peterson P. K. Enhancement of endotoxin-induced isolated renal tubular cell injury by toxic shock syndrome toxin 1. Am J Pathol. 1986 Jan;122(1):169–176. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Larkin S. M., Williams D. N., Osterholm M. T., Tofte R. W., Posalaky Z. Toxic shock syndrome: clinical, laboratory, and pathologic findings in nine fatal cases. Ann Intern Med. 1982 Jun;96(6 Pt 2):858–864. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-96-6-858. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Lee P. K., Deringer J. R., Kreiswirth B. N., Novick R. P., Schlievert P. M. Fluid replacement protection of rabbits challenged subcutaneous with toxic shock syndrome toxins. Infect Immun. 1991 Mar;59(3):879–884. doi: 10.1128/iai.59.3.879-884.1991. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Leonard B. A., Lee P. K., Jenkins M. K., Schlievert P. M. Cell and receptor requirements for streptococcal pyrogenic exotoxin T-cell mitogenicity. Infect Immun. 1991 Mar;59(3):1210–1214. doi: 10.1128/iai.59.3.1210-1214.1991. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. MacDonald H. R., Baschieri S., Lees R. K. Clonal expansion precedes anergy and death of V beta 8+ peripheral T cells responding to staphylococcal enterotoxin B in vivo. Eur J Immunol. 1991 Aug;21(8):1963–1966. doi: 10.1002/eji.1830210827. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Murai T., Ogawa Y., Kawasaki H., Kanoh S. Physiology of the potentiation of lethal endotoxin shock by streptococcal pyrogenic exotoxin in rabbits. Infect Immun. 1987 Oct;55(10):2456–2460. doi: 10.1128/iai.55.10.2456-2460.1987. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Priest B. P., Schlievert P. M., Dunn D. L. Treatment of toxic shock syndrome with endotoxin-neutralizing antibody. J Surg Res. 1989 Jun;46(6):527–531. doi: 10.1016/0022-4804(89)90014-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. SUGIYAMA H., MCKISSIC E. M., Jr, BERGDOLL M. S., HELLER B. ENHANCEMENT OF BACTERIAL ENDOTOXIN LETHALITY BY STAPHYLOCOCCAL ENTEROTOXIN. J Infect Dis. 1964 Apr;114:111–118. doi: 10.1093/infdis/114.2.111. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Schlievert P. M., Bettin K. M., Watson D. W. Inhibition of ribonucleic acid synthesis by group A streptococcal pyrogenic exotoxin. Infect Immun. 1980 Feb;27(2):542–548. doi: 10.1128/iai.27.2.542-548.1980. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Schlievert P. M. Biological properties of toxic shock syndrome exotoxin. Surv Synth Pathol Res. 1984;3(1):54–62. doi: 10.1159/000156915. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Schlievert P. M. Enhancement of host susceptibility to lethal endotoxin shock by staphylococcal pyrogenic exotoxin type C. Infect Immun. 1982 Apr;36(1):123–128. doi: 10.1128/iai.36.1.123-128.1982. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Stone R. L., Schlievert P. M. Evidence for the involvement of endotoxin in toxic shock syndrome. J Infect Dis. 1987 Apr;155(4):682–689. doi: 10.1093/infdis/155.4.682. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Infection and Immunity are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES