Cytokine profile of human peripheral blood mononucleated cells stimulated with a novel streptococcal superantigen, SPEA, SPEC and group A streptococcal cells.

Abstract

Among bacterial derived proteins, the superantigens possess the unique property to interact polyclonally with a high proportion of T lymphocytes bearing appropriate Vß motifs of the T cell receptor. In the presence of antigen presenting cells expressing MHC class II molecules the superantigens stimulate in a cascade of activation signals the production of a broad array of cytokines. Clinical and experimental observations strongly suggest that the pathophysiological features of streptococcal toxic shock syndrome (STSS) are mainly due to massive release of proinflammatory cytokines. Furthermore, the production of Th1 and Th2 derived cytokines by superantigen stimulated immune cells in vitro strongly indicates that these effectors have the capacity to play an important role in pathogenic disorders other than acute inflammatory processes by interfering with the regulation of Th1 and Th2 cytokine network in direction of either cell mediated, allergic or autoimmune responses. The precise role of bacterial superantigen involvement in the pathogenesis of chronic sequelae remains to be clarified.KeywordsCytokine ProfileHuman Peripheral Blood Mononuclear CellToxic Shock SyndromePathophysiological FeatureStreptococcal Toxic Shock SyndromeThese keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.