Skip to main content
PMC home page
Infection and Immunity logoLink to Infection and Immunity
. 1980 Oct;30(1):272–280. doi: 10.1128/iai.30.1.272-280.1980

Interactions of human neutrophils with leukotoxic streptococci.

G W Sullivan, G L Mandell
PMCID: PMC551304  PMID: 7002789

Abstract

Most strains of Streptococcus pyogenes contain a toxin which can kill neutrophils. Previous workers failed to show any correlation between leukotoxin content and virulence of animals or humans. We examined the in vitro interactions of a leukotoxic streptococcus and a nonleukotoxic variant with human neutrophils. At ratios of 200 streptococcal colony-forming units per neutrophil, the toxic strain killed 92.8 +/- 2.0% of neutrophils, and the nontoxic strain killed only 9.0 +/- 1.2%. Despite this, ingestion of the two strains was equal. Postphagocytic oxidative metabolism was equivalent with low numbers of either toxic or nontoxic streptococci but depressed with high numbers of leukotoxic streptococci. At 20 min, neutrophils were able to kill leukotoxic (99.6 +/- 0.3% killed) and nonleukotoxic streptococci (99.5 +/- 0.2% killed) equally efficiently (P = 0.42). Thus, leukotoxicity does not interfere with the ability of neutrophils to destroy streptococci. This may explain why leukotoxicity does not appear to be an important factor in streptococcal virulence.

Full text

PDF
275

Images in this article

275Fig. 1
on p.275

Selected References

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

  1. Beachey E. H., Stollerman G. H. Toxic effects of streptococcal M protein on platelets and polymorphonuclear leukocytes in human blood. J Exp Med. 1971 Aug 1;134(2):351–365. doi: 10.1084/jem.134.2.351. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Böyum A. Isolation of mononuclear cells and granulocytes from human blood. Isolation of monuclear cells by one centrifugation, and of granulocytes by combining centrifugation and sedimentation at 1 g. Scand J Clin Lab Invest Suppl. 1968;97:77–89. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Crawford G., Brancato F., Holmes K. K. Streptococcal pharyngitis: diagnosis by gram stain. Ann Intern Med. 1979 Mar;90(3):293–297. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-90-3-293. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Fishman W. H., Kato K., Anstiss C. L., Green S. Human serum beta-glucuronidase; its measurement and some of its properties. Clin Chim Acta. 1967 Mar;15(3):435–447. doi: 10.1016/0009-8981(67)90008-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Fox E. N. M proteins of group A streptococci. Bacteriol Rev. 1974 Mar;38(1):57–86. doi: 10.1128/br.38.1.57-86.1974. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. GINSBURG I., BENTWICH Z., HARRIS T. N. OXYGEN-STABLE HEMOLYSINS OF GROUP A STREPTOCOCCI. 3. THE RELATIONSHIP OF THE CELL-BOUND HOMOLYSIN TO STREPTOLYSIN S. J Exp Med. 1965 Apr 1;121:633–645. doi: 10.1084/jem.121.4.633. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. HIRSCH J. G., BERNHEIMER A. W., WEISSMANN G. MOTION PICTURE STUDY OF THE TOXIC ACTION OF STREPTOLYSINS ON LEUCOCYTES. J Exp Med. 1963 Aug 1;118:223–228. doi: 10.1084/jem.118.2.223. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Klebanoff S. J. Iodination of bacteria: a bactericidal mechanism. J Exp Med. 1967 Dec 1;126(6):1063–1078. doi: 10.1084/jem.126.6.1063. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. LEEDOM J. M., BARKULIS S. S. Studies on virulence of group A beta-hemolytic streptococci. J Bacteriol. 1959 Nov;78:687–694. doi: 10.1128/jb.78.5.687-694.1959. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Ofek I., Bergner-Rabinowitz S., Ginsburg I. Oxygen-stable hemolysins of group A streptococci. VII. The relation of the leukotoxic factor to streptolysin S. J Infect Dis. 1970 Dec;122(6):517–522. doi: 10.1093/infdis/122.6.517. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Potter E. V., Moran A. F. Extracellular factors, blood group antigens, and bacteriophage of nephritogenic and nonnephritogenic strains of M-type 12 streptococci. J Infect Dis. 1979 Sep;140(3):392–396. doi: 10.1093/infdis/140.3.392. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. SMOLELIS A. N., HARTSELL S. E. The determination of lysozyme. J Bacteriol. 1949 Dec;58(6):731–736. doi: 10.1128/jb.58.6.731-736.1949. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. SNYDER I. S., HAMILTON T. R. Effect of streptolysin S on mammalian cells. J Pathol Bacteriol. 1963 Jul;86:242–247. doi: 10.1002/path.1700860135. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. STOLLERMAN G. H., BERNHEIMER A. W. Inhibition of streptolysin S by the serum of patients with rheumatic fever and acute streptococcal pharyngitis. J Clin Invest. 1950 Sep;29(9):1147–1155. doi: 10.1172/JCI102352. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. WEISSMANN G., KEISER H., BERNHEIMER A. W. STUDIES ON LYSOSOMES. III. THE EFFECTS OF STREPTOLYSINS O AND S ON THE RELEASE OF ACID HYDROLASES FROM A GRANULAR FRACTION OF RABBIT LIVER. J Exp Med. 1963 Aug 1;118:205–222. doi: 10.1084/jem.118.2.205. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. WILSON A. T. The leukotoxic action of streptococci. J Exp Med. 1957 May 1;105(5):463–484. doi: 10.1084/jem.105.5.463. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

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

RESOURCES