Skip to main content
Infection and Immunity logoLink to Infection and Immunity
. 1982 Apr;36(1):123–128. doi: 10.1128/iai.36.1.123-128.1982

Enhancement of host susceptibility to lethal endotoxin shock by staphylococcal pyrogenic exotoxin type C.

P M Schlievert
PMCID: PMC351193  PMID: 7042568

Abstract

Staphylococcal pyrogenic exotoxin (PE) ty pe C enhanced the susceptibility of rabbits to lethal shock by endotoxin by as much as 50,000-fold. A graph of log PE type C dose used for pretreatment versus log 50% lethal dose of endotoxin gave a straight line with a slope of approximately -1. Rabbits that received PE type C alone showed fevers only, but those given both PE ty pe C and endotoxin showed initial fever followed by hypothermia, labored breathing, diarrhea, evidence of vascular collapse, and finally death. When a PE type C dose of 3 micrograms/kg was used, pretreatment of the animals with PE for 2 h before giving the endotoxin was required to obtain maximal susceptibility. However, when 15 micrograms of PE type C per kg was utilized, the endotoxin could be given before, concurrently, or after PE type C. The capacity of PE type C to prepare rabbits for enhanced susceptibility to endotoxin was lost after 24 to 48 h. Animals could be protected from enhanced susceptibility to endotoxin by prior immunization with either PE type C or endotoxin. However, 30% of the rabbits which were immunized with PE type C failed to develop immunity, and after three injections of PE type C, these animals developed gram-negative bacteremia and succumbed. In addition, rabbits with diarrhea initially, possibly caused by Pasteurella infection, died less than 24 h after a single injection of PE type C.

Full text

PDF
127

Selected References

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

  1. Barsumian E. L., Cunningham C. M., Schlievert P. M., Watson D. W. Heterogeneity of group A streptococcal pyrogenic exotoxin type B. Infect Immun. 1978 May;20(2):512–518. doi: 10.1128/iai.20.2.512-518.1978. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Bradford M. M. A rapid and sensitive method for the quantitation of microgram quantities of protein utilizing the principle of protein-dye binding. Anal Biochem. 1976 May 7;72:248–254. doi: 10.1006/abio.1976.9999. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Classics in infectious diseases. Scarlatina by a. trousseau reprinted from Lectures on Cliical Medicine by A. Trousseau. Trans. J. R. Cormack and P. V. Bazire. 2 vols. Lindsay and Blakiston, Philadelphia, 1873. Rev Infect Dis. 1979 Nov-Dec;1(6):1016–1026. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Cunningham C. M., Barsumian E. L., Watson D. W. Further purification of group A streptococcal pyrogenic exotoxin and characterization of the purified toxin. Infect Immun. 1976 Sep;14(3):767–775. doi: 10.1128/iai.14.3.767-775.1976. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Cunningham C. M., Watson D. W. Suppression of antibody response by group A streptococcal pyrogenic exotoxin and characterization of the cells involved. Infect Immun. 1978 Feb;19(2):470–476. doi: 10.1128/iai.19.2.470-476.1978. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. FELDMAN C. A. Staphylococcal scarlet fever. N Engl J Med. 1962 Oct 25;267:877–878. doi: 10.1056/NEJM196210252671709. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Kim Y. B., Watson D. W. A purified group A streptococcal pyrogenic exotoxin. Physiochemical and biological properties including the enhancement of susceptibility to endotoxin lethal shock. J Exp Med. 1970 Mar 1;131(3):611–622. doi: 10.1084/jem.131.3.611. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Prestidge R. L., Hearn M. T. Preparative flatbed electrofocusing in granulated gels with natural pH gradients generated from simple buffers. Anal Biochem. 1979 Aug;97(1):95–102. doi: 10.1016/0003-2697(79)90332-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Sauter C., Wolfensberger C. Interferon in human serum after injection of endotoxin. Lancet. 1980 Oct 18;2(8199):852–853. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(80)90189-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Schlievert P. M. Activation of murine T-suppressor lymphocytes by group A streptococcal and staphylococcal pyurogenic exotoxins. Infect Immun. 1980 Jun;28(3):876–880. doi: 10.1128/iai.28.3.876-880.1980. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. 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]
  12. Schlievert P. M., Bettin K. M., Watson D. W. Purification and characterization of group A streptococcal pyrogenic exotoxin type C. Infect Immun. 1977 May;16(2):673–679. doi: 10.1128/iai.16.2.673-679.1977. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Schlievert P. M., Bettin K. M., Watson D. W. Reinterpretation of the Dick test: role of group A streptococcal pyrogenic exotoxin. Infect Immun. 1979 Nov;26(2):467–472. doi: 10.1128/iai.26.2.467-472.1979. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Schlievert P. M., Schoettle D. J., Watson D. W. Nonspecific T-lymphocyte mitogenesis by pyrogenic exotoxins from group A streptococci and Staphylococcus aureus. Infect Immun. 1979 Sep;25(3):1075–1077. doi: 10.1128/iai.25.3.1075-1077.1979. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Schlievert P. M., Schoettle D. J., Watson D. W. Purification and physicochemical and biological characterization of a staphylococcal pyrogenic exotoxin. Infect Immun. 1979 Mar;23(3):609–617. doi: 10.1128/iai.23.3.609-617.1979. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Schlievert P. M., Shands K. N., Dan B. B., Schmid G. P., Nishimura R. D. Identification and characterization of an exotoxin from Staphylococcus aureus associated with toxic-shock syndrome. J Infect Dis. 1981 Apr;143(4):509–516. doi: 10.1093/infdis/143.4.509. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Schlievert P. M. Staphylococcal scarlet fever: role of pyrogenic exotoxins. Infect Immun. 1981 Feb;31(2):732–736. doi: 10.1128/iai.31.2.732-736.1981. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Schlievert P. M., Watson D. W. Group A streptococcal pyrogenic exotoxin: pyrogenicity, alteration of blood-brain barrier, and separation of sites for pyrogenicity and enhancement of lethal endotoxin shock. Infect Immun. 1978 Sep;21(3):753–763. doi: 10.1128/iai.21.3.753-763.1978. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Shands K. N., Schmid G. P., Dan B. B., Blum D., Guidotti R. J., Hargrett N. T., Anderson R. L., Hill D. L., Broome C. V., Band J. D. Toxic-shock syndrome in menstruating women: association with tampon use and Staphylococcus aureus and clinical features in 52 cases. N Engl J Med. 1980 Dec 18;303(25):1436–1442. doi: 10.1056/NEJM198012183032502. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Todd J., Fishaut M., Kapral F., Welch T. Toxic-shock syndrome associated with phage-group-I Staphylococci. Lancet. 1978 Nov 25;2(8100):1116–1118. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(78)92274-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

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

RESOURCES