Staphylococcal enterotoxins in the etiopathogenesis of mucosal autoimmunity within the gastrointestinal tract.
The staphylococcal enterotoxins (SEs) are the products of Staphylococcus aureus and are recognized as the causative agents of classical food poisoning in humans following the consumption of contaminated food. While illness evoked by ingestion of the SE or its producer organism in tainted food are often self-limited, our current understanding regarding the evolution of S. aureus provokes the utmost concern. The organism and its associated toxins, has been implicated in a wide variety of disease states including infections of the skin, heart, sinuses, inflammatory gastrointestinal disease, toxic shock, and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. The intricate relationship between the various subsets of immunocompetent T cells and accessory cells and the ingested material found within the gastrointestinal tract present daunting challenges to the maintenance of immunologic homeostasis. Dysregulation of the intricate balances within this environment has the potential for extreme consequences within the host, some of which are long-lived. The focus of this review is to evaluate the relevance of staphylococcal enterotoxin in the context of mucosal immunity, and the underlying mechanisms that contribute to the pathogenesis of gastrointestinal autoimmune disease.
Division of Toxicology, Office of Applied Research and Safety Assessment, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, US Food and Drug Administration, 8301 Muirkirk Road, Laurel, MD 20708, USA. maryann.principato@fda.hhs.gov.
MaryAnn
M
Principato
Commissioner's Fellowship Program, Division of Toxicology, Office of Applied Research and Safety Assessment, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, US Food and Drug Administration, 8301 Muirkirk Road, Laurel, MD 20708, USA. bifeng.qian@fda.hhs.gov.
Bi-Feng
BF
Qian
D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000633:toxicity*; D004768:Enterotoxins / Q000633:toxicity*; D041981:Gastrointestinal Tract / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D018928:Immunity, Mucosal; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D008221:Lymphoid Tissue / Q000276:immunology; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000378:metabolism*
D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D004768:Enterotoxins