Superantigen production by Staphylococcus aureus in psoriasis.
BACKGROUND
Activation of T cells is believed to play a critical role in the pathogenesis of psoriasis. Recently, it has been proposed that psoriasis is a T-cell-mediated autoimmune reaction triggered by bacterial superantigen.


OBJECTIVE
We investigated whether patients with chronic plaque psoriasis bear superantigen-producing Staphylococcus aureus on the skin or the throat.


METHODS
S. aureus producing exfoliative toxin, staphylococcal enterotoxin B or toxic shock syndrome toxin 1 was isolated from the skin and throat of 100 psoriasis patients using Western blot analysis and polymerase chain reaction.


RESULTS
Only 5, 4 and 9 patients had super-antigen producing S. aureus identified on lesional skin, nonlesional skin and throat, respectively. The vast majority of patients did not bear superantigen-producing S. aureus.


CONCLUSIONS
We believe that superantigens are not essential in sustaining disease activity but may, instead, be exacerbating or triggering factors for some psoriasis patients.
Sayama
K
K
Department of Dermatology, Ehime University School of Medicine, Japan. sayama@m.ehime-u.ac.jp
Midorikawa
K
K
Hanakawa
Y
Y
Sugai
M
M
Hashimoto
K
K
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D015153:Blotting, Western; D004768:Enterotoxins / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D005083:Exfoliatins / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010614:Pharynx / Q000382:microbiology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011565:Psoriasis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology*; D012867:Skin / Q000382:microbiology; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D018089:Superantigens / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics
D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D004768:Enterotoxins; D005083:Exfoliatins; D018089:Superantigens; C030107:enterotoxin F, Staphylococcal; C031818:enterotoxin B, staphylococcal