Toxins | Free Full-Text | Allergy—A New Role for T Cell Superantigens of Staphylococcus aureus?
Epidemiological and Clinical Evidence for the Role of Toxins in S. aureus Human Disease
The Role of Streptococcal and Staphylococcal Exotoxins and Proteases in Human Necrotizing Soft Tissue Infections
Abdurrahman, G.
Schmiedeke, F.
Bröker, B. M.
Holtfreter, S.
Goran Abdurrahman
Frieder Schmiedeke
Department of Immunology, University Medicine Greifswald, 17475 Greifswald, Germany
Upper Airways Research Laboratory, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
Current address: Department of Medicine Solna, Immunology and Allergy Research Unit, Karolinska Institute, 171 77 Stockholm, Sweden
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Immunotherapies and Vaccines against Diseases Caused by Staphylococcal Toxins)
Staphylococcus aureus superantigens (SAgs) are among the most potent T cell mitogens known. They stimulate large fractions of T cells by cross-linking their T cell receptor with major histocompatibility complex class-II molecules on antigen presenting cells, resulting in T cell proliferation and massive cytokine release. To date, 26 different SAgs have been described in the species S. aureus; they comprise the toxic shock syndrome toxin (TSST-1), as well as 25 staphylococcal enterotoxins (SEs) or enterotoxin-like proteins (SEls). SAgs can cause staphylococcal food poisoning and toxic shock syndrome and contribute to the clinical symptoms of staphylococcal infection. In addition, there is growing evidence that SAgs are involved in allergic diseases. This review provides an overview on recent epidemiological data on the involvement of S. aureus SAgs and anti-SAg-IgE in allergy, demonstrating that being sensitized to SEs—in contrast to inhalant allergens—is associated with a severe disease course in patients with chronic airway inflammation. The mechanisms by which SAgs trigger or amplify allergic immune responses, however, are not yet fully understood. Here, we discuss known and hypothetical pathways by which SAgs can drive an atopic disease. View Full-Text
Keywords: Staphylococcus aureus; superantigens; T cells; allergy; sensitization; IgE; T cell superallergen Staphylococcus aureus; superantigens; T cells; allergy; sensitization; IgE; T cell superallergen
Abdurrahman, G.; Schmiedeke, F.; Bachert, C.; Bröker, B.M.; Holtfreter, S. Allergy—A New Role for T Cell Superantigens of Staphylococcus aureus? Toxins 2020, 12, 176. https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/toxins12030176
Abdurrahman G, Schmiedeke F, Bachert C, Bröker BM, Holtfreter S. Allergy—A New Role for T Cell Superantigens of Staphylococcus aureus? Toxins. 2020; 12(3):176. https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/toxins12030176
Abdurrahman, Goran, Frieder Schmiedeke, Claus Bachert, Barbara M. Bröker, and Silva Holtfreter. 2020. "Allergy—A New Role for T Cell Superantigens of Staphylococcus aureus?" Toxins 12, no. 3: 176. https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/toxins12030176