Study of the biological activities of toxic shock syndrome toxin-1. I. Proliferative response and interleukin 2 production by T cells stimulated with the toxin.
The mitogenic and interleukin 2 (IL 2) production-inducing effects of toxic shock syndrome toxin-1 (TSST-1) on murine lymphocytes were investigated. TSST-1, an exotoxin produced by Staphylococcus aureus recovered from patients with toxic shock syndrome (TSS), is thought to be a causative agent of the syndrome. TSST-1 was mitogenic for splenic T cells and peanut agglutinin (PNA)-negative thymocytes, but not for T cell-depleted spleen cells, PNA-positive thymocytes or IL 2-dependent CTLL 2-cells. A factor mitogenic for CTCC-2 cells with a molecular weight of 30-35 kdaltons was obtained by stimulating spleen cells with TSST-1 and it was absorbed by CTLL-2 cells, indicating that the factor is IL 2. For substantial amounts of IL 2 to be produced, 10 ng or more of TSST-1 per ml and 48 hr or more of incubation were required. Removal of T cells abrogated the IL 2 production by spleen cells. T cells obtained by the nylon wool column method alone produced IL 2 on TSST-1 stimulation in the presence of either macrophages or a macrophage lysate containing interleukin 1. However, T cells obtained by a combination of the nylon wool column method and anti-Ia antibody treatment produced IL 2 in the presence of macrophages but not of the macrophage lysate, indicating that IL 2 production by TSST-1-stimulated T cells is absolutely dependent on the presence of accessory cells.
D000818:Animals; D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002850:Chromatography, Gel; D004768:Enterotoxins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D007700:Kinetics; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008934:Mitogens; D018089:Superantigens; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism*
D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D004768:Enterotoxins; D007376:Interleukin-2; D008934:Mitogens; D018089:Superantigens; C030107:enterotoxin F, Staphylococcal