Invasive group A streptococcal infection

Current Opinion in Infectious Diseases

Volumn 9, Issue 3, 1996, Pages 191-202

  Curtis, Nigel ^a  

^a IMPERIAL COLLEGE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE   (United Kingdom)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

BACTERIAL ANTIGEN; CYSTEINE PROTEINASE; EXOTOXIN; M PROTEIN; STREPTOCOCCUS VACCINE;

BACTERIAL VIRULENCE; CELL STIMULATION; CHICKENPOX; DISEASE ASSOCIATION; DISEASE SEVERITY; DNA FINGERPRINTING; HUMAN; IMMUNE SYSTEM; PATHOGENESIS; REVIEW; STRAIN DIFFERENCE; STREPTOCOCCUS GROUP A; STREPTOCOCCUS INFECTION; T LYMPHOCYTE; TOXIC SHOCK SYNDROME; UNITED KINGDOM; UNITED STATES;

EID: 0030035993     PISSN: 09517375     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1097/00001432-199606000-00012     Document Type: Review

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71. ••]. The mitogenic activity for Vβ2 and Vβ8 cells associated with a crude preparation of M5 protein could be separated from M protein by chromatographic fractionation. SPE C and MF (SPE F) could be detected in the active fractions. In addition, anti-SPE C antibodies, but not anti-M protein antibodies, inhibited this mitogenic activity of crude extracts. Moreover, recombinant pep M5 produced in Escherichia coli was unable to stimulate T cells. It seems likely, therefore, that the superantigenic properties attributed to M protein fragments result from contamination with other streptococcal toxins. The co-purification of other protein toxins with M proteins is not surprising given the ability of M proteins to bind a variety of different serum proteins (Table 2). This meticulous study underlines the importance of ensuring complete purification when studying such potent toxins.
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119. Gerber MA, Antibiotic resistance in group A streptococci. Pediatr Clin North Am 1995, 42:539-551. A state of the art review. Erythromycin resistance has been a major problem in Japan and Finland but not in the USA. The susceptibility of GAS to the newer macrolide antibiotics seems to be similar to that of erythromycin. Although GAS have not been shown to be resistant to any of the commonly used oral cephalosporins there is much variability between agents in their activity. The author therefore suggests clindamycin as an alternative for treating macrolide-resistant strains in patients in who cannot be treated with beta-lactam antibiotics. The review concludes that despite more than four decades of the use of the penicillin in treating GAS infections, no significant change has occurred in the in-vitro susceptibility of GAS to penicillin and that the resurgence of severe, invasive GAS infections and of acute rheumatic fever is not attributable to the emergence of strains of GAS with increased resistance to penicillin. 59 references.
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