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Infection and Immunity, November 2000, p. 6162-6167, Vol. 68, No. 11
Departments of
Dermatology1 and
Rheumatology,2 Sahlgrenska University
Hospital, Göteborg, Sweden
Received 2 May 2000/Returned for modification 16 June 2000/Accepted 10 August 2000
Despite the high prevalence of cutaneous infections, little is
known about the role of host immune responsiveness during
Staphylococcus aureus dermatitis. We have recently
described a murine model of infectious dermatitis induced by
superantigen-producing S. aureus. To assess the role of
neutrophils in staphylococcal dermatitis, mice were given
granulocyte-depleting monoclonal antibody prior to and on several
occasions following intracutaneous inoculation with staphylococci. The
granulocyte-depleted mice that had been intradermally inoculated with
S. aureus developed crusted ulcerations which tended not to
heal, whereas animals injected with control monoclonal antibody
displayed only minor and transient skin lesions. The finding of severe
ulcerations in neutropenic mice correlated with a significantly higher
burden of bacteria in the blood and skin during the early phase of the
infection. Importantly, while mice with an intact granulocyte
population showed only limited skin infection, bacteremia occurred in
the great majority of the neutrophil-depleted animals. As a
consequence, the latter individuals exhibited significantly increased
levels of the proinflammatory cytokine interleukin-6 and specific
antibodies to staphylococcal cell wall components and toxic shock
syndrome toxin-1 in the serum. Our data point to a crucial protective
role of granulocytes in S. aureus dermatitis.
0019-9567/00/$04.00+0
Copyright © 2000, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.
Role of Neutrophil Leukocytes in Cutaneous
Infection Caused by Staphylococcus aureus
*
Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of
Rheumatology, University of Göteborg, Guldhedsgatan 10A, 413 46 Göteborg, Sweden. Phone: 46-31-3424021. Fax: 46-31-823925. E-mail: lena.molne{at}immuno.gu.se.
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