Erythrogenic toxins A, B and C: occurrence of the genes and exotoxin formation from clinical Streptococcus pyogenes strains associated with streptococcal toxic shock-like syndrome.
We report the study of 53 clinical isolates of group A streptococci, all from patients with streptococcal toxic shock-like syndrome. The strains were analysed for the occurrence of the genes of erythrogenic toxins (pyrogenic exotoxins) types A, B and C and in vitro production of these toxins. In contrast to reports indicating that 85% of the toxic shock-like syndrome-associated isolates contained the erythrogenic toxin A gene, only 58.5% of our strains harboured this gene. The erythrogenic toxin C gene was detected in 22.6% of the isolates. Erythrogenic toxin A and erythrogenic toxin B were produced by 68.7% and 58.3% of the strains containing either gene. For all group A streptococci, irrespective of clinical association, the erythrogenic toxin B gene was detected in all the isolates tested. Thus, it is difficult to define a specific role for erythrogenic toxin B in toxic shock-like syndrome as there was no clear correlation between this disease and the presence of toxin genes. Our results suggest the existence of other pathogenic factor(s) produced by group A streptococci which may stimulate human peripheral T lymphocytes in a manner similar to that of erythrogenic toxins, thus explaining different observations in previous epidemiological genetic studies.
Reichardt
W
W
Institut für Experimentelle Mikrobiologie, Jena, FRG.
Müller-Alouf
H
H
Alouf
J E
JE
Köhler
W
W
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D001483:Base Sequence; D015342:DNA Probes; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D005098:Exotoxins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics*; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D006801:Humans; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D012772:Shock, Septic / Q000382:microbiology*; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D013297:Streptococcus pyogenes / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000472:pathogenicity
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D015342:DNA Probes; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D005098:Exotoxins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; C117980:SpeA protein, Streptococcus pyogenes; C027951:erythrogenic toxin