title: Streptococcal erythrogenic toxins induce neopterin formation in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells but not in the human myelomonocytoma cell line THP-1.
abstract: We tested whether the exposure of human monocytic cells to streptococcal erythrogenic toxins A, B, C and a streptococcal-derived Mitogert BX is associated with synthesis of neopterin in vitro. Neopterin production was not induced when the human myelomono-cytoma cell line THP-1 was stimulated with these toxins, and there was only a slight co-stimulatory effect of streptococcal erythrogenic toxin A together with interferon-gamma stimulation. However, these toxins induced interferon-gamma and further neopterin production in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of three healthy individuals. This neopterin formation could be blocked by anti-human interferon-gamma. From our investigations we conclude that there is no direct effect of streptococcal erythrogenic toxins on neopterin production by monocytic cells. However, the data obtained in peripheral blood mononuclear cell culture imply that these toxins are able to stimulate neopterin production in humans via the induction of huge amounts of interferon-gamma.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Medical Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Innsbruck, Austria.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Murr
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Baier-Bitterlich
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fuchs
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gerlach
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Werner-Felmayer
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Dierich
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wachter
mesh_terms: D001708:Biopterins / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000096:biosynthesis; D002460:Cell Line; D006801:Humans; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism*; D008934:Mitogens / Q000494:pharmacology; D019798:Neopterin; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000187:drug effects*; D013301:Streptolysins / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D008934:Mitogens; D013301:Streptolysins; D001708:Biopterins; D019798:Neopterin