R. Watanabeohnishi et al., SELECTIVE DEPLETION OF V-BETA-BEARING T-CELLS IN PATIENTS WITH SEVEREINVASIVE GROUP-A STREPTOCOCCAL INFECTIONS AND STREPTOCOCCAL TOXIC SHOCK SYNDROME, The Journal of infectious diseases, 171(1), 1995, pp. 74-84
The V beta repertoire of T cells of patients with gram-positive group
A streptococcal (GAS) and non-GAS infections was analyzed to seek evid
ence for the role of superantigens in streptococcal toxic shock syndro
me. No evidence of VB overexpression but a consistent pattern of deple
tion of V beta 1, V beta 5.1 and V beta 12 was observed in patients wi
th severe GAS infections, This pattern of V beta depletion was not obs
erved in patients with nonsevere GAS infections or with severe non-GAS
gram-positive infections. T cells from patients with severe GAS infec
tions showed evidence of apoptosis; no apoptosis was found when there
was no evidence of V beta depletion. There was no correlation with str
eptococcal M or T serotype or known spe genes. The depletion of specif
ic V beta-hearing T cells in patients with severe GAS infections suppo
rts the role of a superantigen in these infections. The in vivo patter
n of VP specificity implicates a novel superantigen(s) in this disease
.