title: Production of tumor necrosis factor by human monocytes in response to toxic-shock-syndrome toxin-1.
abstract: We studied the effect of toxic-shock-syndrome toxin-1 (TSST-1) on production of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) by human monocytes. Adherent mononuclear cells were stimulated with TSST-1 and their supernatants assayed for TNF by using L929 cells in a cytotoxicity assay. TSST-1 stimulated production of TNF over a wide range of concentrations. The cytotoxicity of monocyte supernatants was neutralized by antibody to TNF but not by antibody to interleukin-1 or by normal rabbit serum. TSST-1 and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) had a synergistic effect on monokine production. Monocytes "primed" with TSST-1 produced more interleukin-1 and TNF in response to LPS than did unprimed cells. Treating monocytes with LPS before TSST-1 and co-incubating the two agents with cells for 24 h also enhanced monokine production under some circumstances. These studies suggest a role for TNF in the pathogenesis of toxic shock syndrome, as a consequence of induction by TSST-1 alone or the synergistic effects of several bacterial products.
authors.affiliation: Channing Laboratory, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02115.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Parsonnet
authors.forename: Z A
authors.initials: ZA
authors.lastname: Gillis
mesh_terms: D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D002460:Cell Line; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003601:Cytotoxicity Tests, Immunologic; D004357:Drug Synergism; D004768:Enterotoxins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology; D009000:Monocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus; D018089:Superantigens; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000096:biosynthesis*
chemical_list: D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D004768:Enterotoxins; D007375:Interleukin-1; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D018089:Superantigens; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; C030107:enterotoxin F, Staphylococcal