Infect. Immun., 10 1997, 4017-4021, Vol 65, No. 10
Copyright © 1997, American Society for Microbiology

Soluble antigens from group B streptococci induce cytokine production in human blood cultures

C von Hunolstein, A Totolian, G Alfarone, G Mancuso, V Cusumano, G Teti and G Orefici
Laboratorio di Batteriologia e Micologia Medica, Istituto Superiore di Sanita, Rome, Italy.

Group B streptococcal antigens stimulated tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), interleukin-1 (IL-1), and IL-6 production in human blood cultures in a concentration- and time-dependent fashion. The minimal concentrations of type-specific polysaccharides, lipoteichoic acid, and group-specific polysaccharide required to produce these effects were, respectively, 0.01, 1, and 10 microg/ml. Cell separation experiments indicated that monocytes were the cell type mainly responsible for cytokine production. Time course studies indicated that TNF-alpha was released before the other cytokines. TNF-alpha, however, did not appear to directly induce IL-1beta, as shown by blockade experiments with anti- TNF-alpha antibodies. IL-6 levels were moderately but significantly decreased by anti-TNF-alpha. These data indicate that several products from group B streptococci are able to directly stimulate human monocytes to release TNF-alpha, IL-1beta, and IL-6. These findings may be clinically relevant, since proinflammatory cytokines can mediate pathophysiologic changes during sepsis.

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