Effect of staphylococcal enterotoxin B injection on the development of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis: influence of cytokine and induciblenitric oxide synthase production

Possible mechanisms involved in the protective effect of staphylococcal ent erotoxin B (SEB) injection on the subsequent development of experimental au toimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) were investigated. Only partial clonal del etion and anergy of V beta 8 + T-lymphocytes were documented after myelin b asic protein immunization in SEE injected mice. Brain permeability was not influenced. Within the brain or during in vitro rechallenge assays SEB prot ected mice produced significantly more IL-10, IL-4, TNF-alpha and iNOS. It is suggested that the immune deviating effect of SEE may be involved in its EAE protective effect. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.