title: Staphylococcal α-toxin induces a higher T cell proliferation and interleukin-31 in atopic dermatitis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Patients with atopic dermatitis (AD) are frequently colonized with α-toxin-producing Staphylococcus aureus which is in turn positively correlated with the severity of eczema.
  
  
  METHODS
  IN this study we addressed T cell proliferation and T cell as well as monocyte cytokine secretion upon α-toxin stimulation in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from AD patients compared to healthy controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found that α-toxin stimulation of PBMCs markedly enhanced T cell proliferation both in patients with AD and healthy controls and was significantly increased in AD patients compared to healthy controls. PBMCs of AD patients secreted significantly more IL-31 compared to those of healthy controls upon α-toxin and SEB stimulation. Moreover, α-toxin stimulation yielded an increase in T cell (IL-2, IL-9, IL-10 and IFN-γ) as well as monocyte (IL-1β and TNF-α) cytokine secretion.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results could partly explain how skin colonization and infection with S. aureus can contribute to chronic skin inflammation and pruritus in AD.
authors.affiliation: Division of Immunodermatology and Allergy Research, Department of Dermatology and Allergy, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany. niebuhr.margarete@mh-hannover.de
authors.forename: Margarete
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Niebuhr
authors.forename: Diana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mamerow
authors.forename: Annice
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Heratizadeh
authors.forename: Imke
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Satzger
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Werfel
mesh_terms: D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D003876:Dermatitis, Atopic / Q000276:immunology*; D006460:Hemolysin Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D007378:Interleukins / Q000378:metabolism*; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D016207:Cytokines; D006460:Hemolysin Proteins; C502187:IL31 protein, human; D007378:Interleukins; C021091:staphylococcal alpha-toxin