Abstract
The most frequent pathogen in haematogenously acquired kidney infections in humans in Staphylococcus aureus. In order to characterize in situ the immunological patterns of septic nephritis we developed a murine model of this disease. A single intravenous injection of S. aureus producing toxic shock syndrome toxin-1 resulted in high frequency of inflammatory kidney lesions. Histopathologically, both focal and diffuse inflammatory infiltrates were seen in kidney cortex and medulla. Immunohistochemical evaluation revealed high numbers of Mac-1+ phagocytic cells as well as CD4(+)-and CD8(+)-lymphocytes. The expansion of lymphocytes carrying T-cell receptor V beta chain 4, 7, and 11 families in the kidney was observed. Our results suggest that the haematogenously acquired kidney infection by superantigen-producing staphylococci leads to migration, in situ activation and expansion of responding T-lymphocyte subsets.

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