Neopterin production and tryptophan degradation in humans infected by Streptococcus pyogenes (original) (raw)

Abstract

Streptococcus pyogenes may cause tonsillitis, scarlet fever and so-called “streptococcal toxic shock-like syndrome” (STSS). These streptococci produce exotoxins which are implicated as superantigens in the pathogenesis of STSS and scarlet fever. Using human peripheral blood-derived mononuclear cells in vitro, such toxins were shown to induce neopterin production and degradation of the amino acid tryptophan to metabolites such as kynurenine by activating indoleamine (2,3)-dioxygenase via interferon-γ. We investigated the sera of seven patients with streptococcal tonsillitis and of four patients with STSS. Those with STSS showed higher serum neopterin concentrations (median: 152 nmol/l; 95th percentile in healthy controls: 8.7 nmol/l) than those with tonsillitis (median: 12 nmol/l). Similarly, kynurenine to tryptophan ratios were increased in tonsillitis and extremely high in patients with STSS. Highly increased neopterin production and tryptophan degradation in patients with STSS suggest an association between a high degree of T cell activation and the severity of the disease manifestation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Medical Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Innsbruck, Fritz Pregl Strasse 3, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria Tel.: +43-512-5073519; Fax: +43-512-5072865 e-mail: dietmar.fuchs@uibk.ac.at, , , , , , AT
    Christian Murr, Bernhard Widner & Dietmar Fuchs
  2. Institute for Experimental Microbiology, University of Jena, Jena, Germany, , , , , , DE
    Dieter Gerlach
  3. Institute for Hygiene, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria, , , , , , AT
    Manfred P. Dierich

Authors

  1. Christian Murr
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  2. Dieter Gerlach
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  3. Bernhard Widner
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  4. Manfred P. Dierich
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  5. Dietmar Fuchs
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Received: 13 November 2000

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Murr, C., Gerlach, D., Widner, B. et al. Neopterin production and tryptophan degradation in humans infected by Streptococcus pyogenes.Med Microbiol Immunol 189, 161–163 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1007/s430-001-8023-3

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