Maternal Antibody against Toxic Shock Syndrome Toxin–1 May Protect Infants Younger than 6 Months of Age from Developing Kawasaki Syndrome
Open Access
- 1 June 2002
- journal article
- Published by Oxford University Press (OUP) in The Journal of Infectious Diseases
- Vol. 185 (11) , 1677-1680
- https://doi.org/10.1086/340513
Abstract
The symptoms of Kawasaki syndrome (KS) suggest a possible relationship between KS and superantigen(s). The infrequent occurrence of KS among young infants may be due to a passive maternal antibody. We investigated the antibody titers for superantigens (toxic shock syndrome toxin [TSST]-1, staphylococcal exotoxin B, and streptococcal pyrogenic exotoxins C and A) in 15 patients with KS who were P = .031). The mean anti-TSST-1 titer for the mothers was significantly lower than that of adult control subjects (P = .021). Among infants <6 months of age, TSST-1 may be related to KS, and a maternal antibody may protect infants from developing KS.Keywords
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