Serological response to toxic shock syndrome toxin in Staphylococcus aureus infected patients and healthy controls.
The prevalence of antibodies to Toxic Shock Syndrome Toxin (TSST-1) in a Swedish healthy control population was investigated using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). 88% of the control group above the age of 10 showed positive antibody levels as compared to 31% of those who were under 10 years old. These results indicate a very common normal exposure to TSST-1 during early life and also identify the small risk-group of potential TSS-patients. Patients with S. aureus endocarditis and septicemia showed slightly higher antibody levels as compared to the controls (p less than 0.05). The difference was in part due to 3/4 septicemia patients, infected with TSST-1 producing strains, who showed very high antibody levels. None of these 4 patients developed any signs of TSS. 5/5 menstrual associated TSS-patients were negative in the ELISA in serial serum samples as were 3/5 non-menstrual associated TSS-patients. The TSST-1 ELISA is proposed for identifying chiefly young women at risk of acquiring menstrual related Toxic Shock Syndrome.
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis*; D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D004697:Endocarditis, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology*; D004768:Enterotoxins / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000032:analysis; D018805:Sepsis / Q000276:immunology*; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000276:immunology; D018089:Superantigens
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D004768:Enterotoxins; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D018089:Superantigens; C030107:enterotoxin F, Staphylococcal