title: Clostridium perfringens enterotoxin lacks superantigenic activity but induces an interleukin-6 response from human peripheral blood mononuclear cells.
abstract: We investigated the potential superantigenic properties of Clostridium perfringens enterotoxin (CPE) on human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). In contrast to the findings of a previous report (P. Bowness, P. A. H. Moss, H. Tranter, J. I. Bell, and A. J. McMichael, J. Exp. Med. 176:893-896, 1992), two different, biologically active preparations of CPE had no mitogenic effects on PBMC. Furthermore, PBMC incubated with various concentrations of CPE did not elicit interleukin-1, interleukin-2, gamma interferon, or tumor necrosis factor alpha or beta, which are cytokines commonly associated with superantigenic stimulation. However, CPE did cause a dose-related release of interleukin-6 from PBMC cultures.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology and Molecular Biology, U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Frederick, Maryland, USA.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Krakauer
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Fleischer
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Stevens
authors.forename: B A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: McClane
authors.forename: B G
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Stiles
mesh_terms: D003016:Clostridium perfringens / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D004768:Enterotoxins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000378:metabolism*; D018089:Superantigens / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D004768:Enterotoxins; D015850:Interleukin-6; D018089:Superantigens; C035598:enterotoxin, Clostridium