Activation of murine T-suppressor lymphocytes by group A streptococcal and staphylococcal pyurogenic exotoxins

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Abstract
The effect of group A streptococcal pyrogenic exotoxin (PE) type C and staphylococcal PE on the in vitro antibody response to sheep erythrocytes was studied in cultures of mouse spleen cells. Both exotoxins suppressed the day 4 direct plaque-forming cell response when added to the cultures. The maximum suppression was obtained with 1.0 or 0.1 ng of toxin/culture and the suppressive effect was reversed by addition of gangliosides to the cultures at the same time as the exotoxins. Pre-incubation of T [thymus-derived] lymphocytes for 4 days with either exotoxin resulted in the generation of a suppressor cell population, which produced dose-dependent suppression of the direct plaque-forming cell response when added to fresh sheep erythrocyte-activated splenocytes. The suppression obtained was not reversed by gangliosides indicating toxin carry-over was not responsible for the effect. B [bone marrow-derived] cells, pre-incubated with exotoxin, failed to suppress the direct plaque-forming cell response of fresh erythrocyte-activated spleen cells.