title: Soluble antigens from group B streptococci induce cytokine production in human blood cultures.
abstract: Group B streptococcal antigens stimulated tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), interleukin-1 (IL-1), and IL-6 production in human blood cultures in a concentration- and time-dependent fashion. The minimal concentrations of type-specific polysaccharides, lipoteichoic acid, and group-specific polysaccharide required to produce these effects were, respectively, 0.01, 1, and 10 microg/ml. Cell separation experiments indicated that monocytes were the cell type mainly responsible for cytokine production. Time course studies indicated that TNF-alpha was released before the other cytokines. TNF-alpha, however, did not appear to directly induce IL-1beta, as shown by blockade experiments with anti-TNF-alpha antibodies. IL-6 levels were moderately but significantly decreased by anti-TNF-alpha. These data indicate that several products from group B streptococci are able to directly stimulate human monocytes to release TNF-alpha, IL-1beta, and IL-6. These findings may be clinically relevant, since proinflammatory cytokines can mediate pathophysiologic changes during sepsis.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio di Batteriologia e Micologia Medica, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: von Hunolstein
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Totolian
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Alfarone
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mancuso
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Cusumano
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Teti
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Orefici
mesh_terms: D001769:Blood / Q000276:immunology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D006801:Humans; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000145:classification / Q000276:immunology; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000276:immunology*; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology*; D013292:Streptococcus agalactiae / Q000276:immunology*; D013682:Teichoic Acids / Q000276:immunology*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000096:biosynthesis
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D007375:Interleukin-1; D015850:Interleukin-6; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial; D013682:Teichoic Acids; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; C009900:lipoteichoic acid