title: Superantigens and adhesins of infant gut commensal Staphylococcus aureus strains and association with subsequent development of atopic eczema.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  According to the hygiene hypothesis, insufficient immune activation by microbes increases the risk of allergy development. Staphylococcus aureus, which is part of the skin and gut microbiota of infants in Western countries, produces a variety of T-cell-activating enterotoxins, called superantigens.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate whether early (0-2 months of age) gut colonization by S. aureus strains that carry specific superantigens and adhesins was related to subsequent development of atopic eczema in a Swedish birth cohort.
  
  
  METHODS
  Staphylococcus aureus was isolated from rectal swabs and cultured quantitatively from faecal samples, with individual strains being tested for carriage of genes for superantigens and adhesins. Atopic eczema was diagnosed at onset of symptoms and at 18 months of age.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Although the frequency of early gut colonization by S. aureus was not related to subsequent eczema development, the S. aureus strains that were found to colonize those infants who developed atopic eczema were less likely to carry the gene encoding the superantigen SElM (P = 0·008) and the gene for elastin-binding protein (P = 0·03), compared with strains that were isolated from infants who had not developed atopic eczema by 18 months of age.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Gut colonization by S. aureus strains carrying a certain combination of superantigen and adhesin genes was negatively associated with subsequent development of atopic eczema. Such strains may provide stimulation and promote maturation of the infant immune system.
authors.affiliation: Institution for Biomedicine, Department of Infectious Disease, University of Gothenburg, Guldhedsgatan 10, S-413 46, Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors.forename: F L
authors.initials: FL
authors.lastname: Nowrouzian
authors.affiliation: Centre National de Référence des Staphylocoques, Hospices Civils de Lyon, CIRI, Université Lyon 1, Inserm U1111, CNRS UMR5308, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, Lyon, France.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lina
authors.affiliation: Centre National de Référence des Staphylocoques, Hospices Civils de Lyon, CIRI, Université Lyon 1, Inserm U1111, CNRS UMR5308, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, Lyon, France.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hodille
authors.affiliation: Institution for Biomedicine, Department of Infectious Disease, University of Gothenburg, Guldhedsgatan 10, S-413 46, Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lindberg
authors.affiliation: Institution for Biomedicine, Department of Infectious Disease, University of Gothenburg, Guldhedsgatan 10, S-413 46, Gothenburg, Sweden.|Department of Paediatrics, Institution of Clinical Science, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hesselmar
authors.affiliation: Institution for Biomedicine, Department of Infectious Disease, University of Gothenburg, Guldhedsgatan 10, S-413 46, Gothenburg, Sweden.|Department of Paediatrics, Institution of Clinical Science, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Saalman
authors.affiliation: Institution for Biomedicine, Department of Infectious Disease, University of Gothenburg, Guldhedsgatan 10, S-413 46, Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Adlerberth
authors.affiliation: Institution for Biomedicine, Department of Infectious Disease, University of Gothenburg, Guldhedsgatan 10, S-413 46, Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors.forename: A E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Wold
mesh_terms: D018829:Adhesins, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003106:Colon / Q000382:microbiology; D003876:Dermatitis, Atopic / Q000209:etiology* / Q000276:immunology; D004768:Enterotoxins / Q000235:genetics; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D000069196:Gastrointestinal Microbiome / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D018089:Superantigens / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D018829:Adhesins, Bacterial; D004768:Enterotoxins; D018089:Superantigens; C048165:adhesin, Staphylococcus aureus