title: Increased incidence of menstruation-associated bactericidal defects in neutrophils from women who have recovered from toxic shock syndrome.
abstract: There is a growing suspicion that a host abnormality may contribute to the pathogenesis of toxic shock syndrome (TSS). We found that females (5 of 5) who had recovered from TSS had transient, menstruation-associated decreases (greater than or equal to 9%) in the ability of their neutrophils to kill Staphylococcus aureus. 502A in vitro more often (P = 0.040 by Fisher's exact test) than non-TSS-affected control subjects (5 of 12). In addition, the average decrease in bactericidal activity in neutrophils obtained during menstruation from recovered TSS patients was 30 +/- 9% compared to 7 +/- 7% for neutrophils from non-TSS-affected control subjects. The results are consistent with the possibility that transient menstruation-associated decreases in neutrophil bactericidal function may indicate susceptibility and/or contribute to the development of TSS.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008597:Menstrual Cycle; D008598:Menstruation; D008875:Middle Aged; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000502:physiology*; D010587:Phagocytosis; D012772:Shock, Septic / Q000097:blood*; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus; D013481:Superoxides / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D013481:Superoxides