TABLE 2.

Vascular lesions identified in SKH1 mice inoculated with the GAS M3 wild-type strain or cysteine protease mutant^a

Skin location and vascular lesion character	No. positive/total at the following time (h) and treatment:
	24			48			72
	PBS control	Wild-type strain	Protease mutant	PBS control	Wild-type strain	Protease mutant	PBS control	Wild-type strain	Protease mutant
Epidermis, infarction	0/6	0/6	0/6	0/6	5/6	0/6	0/6	6/6	1/6b
Dermis
Perivascular PMNs	0/6	1/6	1/6	0/6	0/6	0/6	0/6	0/6	3/6
Necrotizing vasculitis	0/6	0/6	1/6	0/6	3/6	0/6	0/6	4/6	2/6c
Thrombosis	0/6	0/6	0/6	0/6	1/6	0/6	0/6	3/6	1/6
Vascular congestion	0/6	0/6	1/6	0/6	4/6	3/6	0/6	4/6	1/6
Subcutis
Perivascular PMNs	0/6	0/6	1/6	0/6	0/6	0/6	0/6	0/6	2/6
Necrotizing vasculitis	0/6	0/6	0/6	0/6	0/6	0/6	0/6	4/6	2/6
Thrombosis	0/6	0/6	0/6	0/6	0/6	1/6	0/6	3/6	2/6
Vascular congestion	0/6	0/6	0/6	0/6	5/6	3/6	0/6	1/6	2/6

^aMice were randomly assigned to be inoculated with the GAS M3 wild-type strain or cysteine protease mutant or with PBS. The statistical difference between vascular lesions in animals (days 2 and 3 combined) inoculated with the wild-type or cysteine protease mutant strain was calculated by using Fisher’s exact (two-tailed) test. 

^bP < 0.01. 

^cP < 0.05.