title: Acute guttate psoriasis patients have positive streptococcus hemolyticus throat cultures and elevated antistreptococcal M6 protein titers.
abstract: To further study the role of Streptococci hemolyticus infection and streptococcal M6 protein in the pathogenesis of acute guttate psoriasis, streptococcal cultures were taken from the throats of 68 patients with acute guttate psoriasis. PCR technique was applied to detect M6 protein encoding DNA from those cultured streptococci. Pure M6 protein was obtained by Sephacry/S-200HR and Mono-Q chromatography from proliferated Streptococcus hemolyticus. Antistreptococcal M6 protein titers were measured in the serum of patients with acute guttate psoriasis, plaque psoriasis and healthy controls by ELISA. A high incidence of Streptococcus hemolyticus culture was observed in the guttate psoriatic group compared with the plaque psoriasis and control groups. Fourteen strains of Streptococcus hemolyticus were cultured from the throats of 68 acute guttate psoriasis patients. Of these, 5 strains contain DNA encoding the M6 protein gene as confirmed by PCR technique. More than 85% purification of M6 protein was obtained from Streptococcus pyogenes. Applying our pure M6 protein with the ELISA methods, we found that the titer of antistreptococcal M6 protein was significantly higher in the serum of guttate psoriasis patients than in the control or plaque psoriasis groups (P < 0.01). We verified that patients of acute guttate psoriasis have a high incidence of Streptococcus hemolyticus in their throats and raised titers of antistreptococcal M6 protein in their sera.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Airforce General Hospital of People's Liberation Army, Fucheng Road 30, Haidian District, Beijing, China 100036.
authors.forename: Guang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Xiaoling
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.forename: Aihua
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Na
authors.forename: Jiang
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yongqiang
authors.forename: Qing
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kong
authors.forename: Huijun
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ma
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D017931:DNA Primers; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D010614:Pharynx / Q000382:microbiology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011565:Psoriasis / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D013297:Streptococcus pyogenes / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*
chemical_list: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D017931:DNA Primers; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; C014689:streptococcal M protein