Analysis of Toxic Shock Syndrome Isolates Producing Staphylococcal Enterotoxins B and Cl with Use of Southern Hybridization and Immunologic Assays

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Abstract
A study was undertaken to evaluate the production of enterotoxin B (Ent B), EntCl, and toxic shock syndrome toxin 1 (TSST-l) by isolates of Staphylococcus aureus from patients with toxic shock syndrome (TSS) and from a variety of other sources. Levels of toxin in culture supernatants were measured by a quantitative immunodiffusion assay. Most vaginal TSS isolates produced TSST-l, either alone or with EntCl. However, strains that produced EntB or EntCl but did not express TSST-l were commonly isolated from patients with nonmenstrual TSS; EntB was usually produced alone or — rarely — with EntCl. These results were confirmed by probing DNA from representative isolates with an internal probe of the EntCl gene (entCl). Extensive sequence homology between entCl and entB enabled detection of both genes under conditions of high stringency. The genomic location of entCl in strains producing both EntCl and TSST-l varied little but was dependent on the mammalian host. In contrast, the genomic location of entCI or entB in strains producing EntCl or EntB alone was variable. These results suggest that these genes are contained on mobile elements.

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