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Infection and Immunity, August 2001, p. 5193-5197, Vol. 69, No. 8
0019-9567/01/$04.00+0 DOI: 10.1128/IAI.69.8.5193-5197.2001
Copyright © 2001, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.
Toxin Levels in Serum Correlate with the
Development of Staphylococcal Scalded Skin Syndrome in a Murine
Model
Lisa R. W.
Plano,1
Becky
Adkins,2
Markus
Woischnik,2
Ruth
Ewing,3 and
Carleen M.
Collins2,*
Departments of
Pediatrics,1 Microbiology and
Immunology,2 and Developmental
Pathology,3 University of Miami School of
Medicine, Miami, Florida 33101
Received 16 October 2000/Returned for modification 15 January
2001/Accepted 14 May 2001
 |
ABSTRACT |
Staphylococcal scalded skin syndrome (SSSS) is an exfoliative
dermatitis that results from infection with exfoliative toxin-producing Staphylococcus aureus. SSSS is seen primarily in infants
and children. Here we ask if there is a specific maturation process
that protects healthy adults from this syndrome. For these studies, an
active recombinant exfoliative toxin A (rETA) was used in a neonatal mouse model. A time course generated on the susceptibility to the toxin
as a function of mouse age indicated that BALB/c mice developed the
characteristic symptoms of SSSS until day 7 of life. Between day 7 and
day 8 of life there was a dramatic decrease in susceptibility, such
that mice at day 9 of life were resistant to the effects of the toxin.
This time course corresponds approximately to the time needed for
maturation of the adaptive immune response, and SSSS in adults is often
identified with immunocompromised states. Therefore, mice deficient in
this response were examined. Adult mice thymectomized at birth and
adult SCID mice did not develop the symptoms of SSSS after injection
with the toxin, indicating that the adaptive immune response is not
responsible for the lack of susceptibility observed in the older mice.
SSSS in adults is also associated with renal disorders, suggesting that
levels of toxin in serum are important in the development of the
disease. rETA was not cleared as efficiently from the serum of
1-day-old mice compared to clearance from 10-day-old mice. Ten-day-old
mice were given repeated injections of toxin so that the maximal level of toxin was maintained for a sustained period of time, and exfoliation occurred in these mice. Thus, whereas the adaptive immune response is
not needed for protection of adult mice from SSSS, efficient clearance
of the toxin from the bloodstream is a critical factor.
 |
TEXT |
Staphylococcal scalded skin syndrome
(SSSS) is an exfoliative dermatitis characterized by the formation of
large bullae and separation of extended areas of the epidermis (for a
recent review see reference 10). SSSS results from
infection with exfoliative toxin A (ETA) or exfoliative toxin B (ETB)
producing Staphylococcus aureus (4, 12) and is
primarily a disease of infants and children (7, 9). In
children, the syndrome is associated with a trivial infective focus,
3% mortality with appropriate antibiotic therapy, and infrequent
bacteremia (9). In contrast, the syndrome in adults is
usually associated with significant bacteremia and a 50% mortality
rate even with appropriate antibiotic therapy. SSSS in adults is
associated with immunocompromised states, renal deficiencies, diabetes
mellitus, and old age (7).
In 1970, Melish et al. (12) demonstrated that a mouse less
than 5 days old exfoliated after injection with exfoliative toxin producing S. aureus, while mice more than 7 days old did not
exfoliate. This information, along with the clinical observation that
SSSS is usually seen in children and only rarely in adults, led us to
ask if there is a specific maturation process protecting adults from
the action of the exfoliative toxins. As initial studies to determine
the target and activity of ETA, a more exact time course of natural
protection in the neonatal mouse model was generated, and we asked if
maturation of the adaptive immune response protected mice from the
effects of the toxins. Because of the link between renal-deficient
adults and the development of SSSS, the toxin levels in serum of adult
and neonatal mice were examined. We conclude that maturation of the
adaptive immune response does not play a role in protecting mice, while
efficient clearance of the toxin from the serum correlates with protection.
Susceptibility to recombinant ETA (rETA) as a function of mouse
age.
In the original work with the mouse model of SSSS, it was
demonstrated that neonatal CD1 mice would exfoliate in response to
injection with exfoliative toxin producing S. aureus, but
that mice more than 7 days of age would not exfoliate. As a first step to determine the mode of resistance in adult mice, we wished to determine the time course of this apparent decrease in susceptibility to the toxin.
BALB/c mice, bred and housed under barrier conditions in a
pathogen-free environment at the Division of Veterinary Resources at
the University of Miami School of Medicine, were inoculated with rETA
previously demonstrated to be active in a neonatal mouse model
(14). Mice at 1 to 10 days of life were given a single subcutaneous injection at the nape of the neck with a dose of 5 µg of
toxin per g of body weight and were examined at 16 h postinjection for signs of exfoliation. Gross scores were assigned to the response based on both the appearance of the skin and tactile examination as
follows: 0, no obvious skin changes; 1, Nikolsky's sign (permanent wrinkling of skin after being rubbed with slight pressure); 2, bullous
formation of <3 mm in diameter; 3, bullous formation of >3 mm in
diameter or webbing of the skin at the hind limbs or frank exfoliation;
E, expired. Mice either died during the course of the experiment or
were sacrificed by hypothermia at the end of the observation period.
Starting at 4 to 5 days of life, mice develop hair, and these animals
were examined at their forepaws and ears for exfoliation. Mice at day 7 of life or younger were susceptible to the effects of the toxin (Fig.
1), and all showed a gross score of 2 or
3. However, between 7 and 8 days of life there was a dramatic decrease
in response to the toxin, and by day 9 of life there was no gross
evidence of exfoliation.

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FIG. 1.
Response of mice to rETA exposure as a function of age.
Presented as a graph are the median gross scores at each day of life.
The table presents the raw data for each point.
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|
To confirm the above findings, mice at 1 through 10 days of life were
injected with toxin and prepared for histological analysis
at 16 h
postinjection. Minimal tactile manipulation was performed
when
scoring these mice prior to placement in fixative. The histopathology
seen was as predicted by the gross scores. Mice 1 to 7 days old
had
significant clefting at the stratum granulosum when the ears
and
forepaws were examined. Microscopic examination of areas with
hair
(back and muzzle) indicated that while gross exfoliation
was not
apparent at these sites, significant separation at the
stratum
granulosum was still observed. Mice at 8, 9, and 10 days
of life that
did not exhibit any gross appearance of exfoliation
did not have
significant separation at the stratum granulosum,
although minor clefts
were seen on occasional
views.
Mice at days 9 and 10 of life were injected with 50 µg of rETA per g
of body weight in an attempt to elicit exfoliation. They
were observed
for gross signs and were prepared for histological
evaluation as
described above. There was no evidence of gross
exfoliation, and only
occasional small areas of separation at
the stratum granulosum were
detected on histological exam (data
not
shown).
Role of adaptive immune response in the development of SSSS.
One hypothesis to explain the lack of response to rETA in mice greater
than 9 days old is that these mice were being protected by the adaptive
immune response. It is well established that the neonatal immune system
in both humans and mice is immunologically immature (1),
and therefore, there might be components of the mature immune system
that protect the adult and are missing in the neonate. This hypothesis
is supported by the clinical data on adult patients. When seen, adult
cases of SSSS often occur in immunodeficient patients and healthy
adults receiving immunosuppressive drugs. In order to determine if the
adaptive arm of the immune response is responsible in some manner for
the protection of adults against SSSS, we examined the effect of rETA
in adult mice deficient in this response. Two types of
immunocompromised adult mice were tested: (i) mice depleted of mature T
cells and (ii) SCID mice, which are lacking in both T and B cells due
to an early block in maturation of bone marrow precursors.
To test the effects of a T-cell deficiency, adult BALB/c mice that had
been thymectomized within the first 24 h of life as
previously
described (
2) or CB-17 SCID mice (Taconic, Germantown,
N.Y.) deficient in both mature T and B cells were examined for
susceptibility to the toxin. At between 7 and 11 weeks of life
these
mice were shaved to expose the skin and were injected with
either 5 or
50 µg of rETA or phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) (as
a negative
control)/g of body weight. Injection of a neonate with
toxin at these
concentrations would result in a gross grade 3
exfoliation by 4 to 6 h
(
14). Mice were evaluated and scored
as described
above at 16 h after injection. All mice had either
no response or
a minimal response (0 to 1) (Table
1).
Mouse skin
samples were fixed for histological examination as described
above.
Histological evaluation showed minimal cleavage at the stratum
granulosum in both the thymectomized and the SCID mice. The same
degree
of clefting was noted upon evaluation of normal adult mice
similarly
shaved and injected with sterile PBS. These data suggest
that the
changes observed were an effect of shaving the skin and
not a response
to the toxin.
As an additional measure of the role of the adaptive arm of the immune
response, we attempted to protect neonatal mice with
spleen cells from
adult mice. Intravenous injection of adult spleen
cells into neonates
results in substantial (less than 20% of total
cells) colonization of
the host spleen within 24 h (
15) and
has been shown
to protect neonatal mice from lethal cytomegalovirus
infection
(
5). BALB/c mice at day 1 of life were intravenously
injected with approximately 2 × 10
7 adult
splenocytes either just prior to or 24 h before injection
with
various doses of rETA. Mice were observed at 2, 4, 6, 10,
and 24 h
for signs of exfoliation and were scored as described
above. No
protection against exfoliation was conferred upon neonatal
mice by
adult splenocytes when given either immediately before
or 24 h
prior to injection of rETA (data not
shown).
Because adult immune-deficient mice did not respond to the toxin and
replacement of mature immune components from adults did
not confer
protection to the neonatal mice, we conclude that the
adaptive immune
response is not responsible for protecting adult
mice from the effects
of
toxin.
Role of serum clearance of rETA in the development of SSSS in 1- and 10-day-old mice.
Adults with renal disorders have a higher
probability of contracting SSSS than healthy adults. It is therefore
possible that clearance of the toxin from the bloodstream is an
important factor in the development of SSSS. To address this
hypothesis, rETA levels in serum of 1- and 10-day-old mice were
determined at various times postinjection by sandwich enzyme-linked
immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using standard protocols and biotinylated
anti-ETA immunoglobulin G raised in rabbits.
One- and 10-day-old BALB/c mice were injected in the subcutaneous
tissue at the nape of the neck as described above with rETA
at a dose
of 10 µg per g of body weight. Sera from these mice
were obtained at
time points between 0 and 16 h. The sera from
two mice were pooled
at each time point, and the experiment was
repeated once. Serum samples
were diluted up to 80,000-fold in
assay buffer to fall in the linear
range of the standard curve
for the ELISA. Measurements were made in
triplicate and repeated
once for each sample. Each experiment generated
a similar curve
for mean serum concentration, and a representative
experiment
is shown in Fig.
2.

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FIG. 2.
Mean serum levels of rETA in BALB/c mice, which are 1 (shaded diamond) and 10 ( ) days old, after a single toxin injection
and in 10-day-old ( ) mice after repeated toxin injections.
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|
In both 1- and 10-day-old mice, the toxin entered the bloodstream
rapidly and was detected at the first time point taken (15
min
postinjection) (Fig.
2). For the 1-day-old mice, levels of
rETA in
serum peaked at 120 min postinjection, with a serum area
under the
concentration-time curve (AUC) at 360 min of 10,645
µg · min/ml. The rETA persisted in the serum of the 1-day-old
mice and could
still be detected in appreciable amounts after
16 h (data not
shown). In the 10-day-old mice the levels of rETA
in serum peaked at 60 min postinjection, and then the levels decreased
sharply. At 6 h
postinjection (360 min) insignificant amounts
of rETA were detected by
the ELISA in the serum of the 10-day-old
mice. At 360 min the AUC was
3,015 µg · min/ml. Nikolsky's sign
was observed in 1-day-old
mice starting at 2 to 4 h after injection
of the toxin, while no
signs of exfoliation were seen in the 10-day-old
mice throughout the
complete time
course.
These data suggest that one key difference between 1- and 10-day-old
mice is the ability to clear the toxin from the bloodstream.
To
determine if the older mice would exfoliate if levels of toxin
in serum
remained high, 10-day-old mice were given repeated injections
of rETA
and toxin levels in the blood were monitored. A dose of
10 µg of rETA
per g of body weight was administered at hourly
intervals starting at
time zero for 5 h. Mice were observed at
the forepaws, footpads,
and ears for gross exfoliation, and serum
samples were obtained at
hourly intervals. Levels of toxin in
serum at all time points were
comparable to the maximum toxin
levels achieved with the single
injection into the 1- and 10-day-old
mice (Fig.
2), and the AUC at 360 min was 15,116 µg · min/ml.
Nikolsky's sign became evident by
gross examination at hour 5,
which corresponds to a total of 50 µg of
toxin administered per
g of body weight. Exfoliation did not occur in
10-day-old mice
after a single injection of 50 µg of toxin per g of
body weight
(data not shown). Therefore, 10-day-old mice will exfoliate
if
toxin levels in serum are
maintained.
Toxin levels in serum of 21-day-old mice showed a profile similar to
that observed for the 10-day-old mice. In addition, similar
clearance
profiles were seen when 1- and 10-day-old mice were
injected with an
active site mutant form of the toxin (data not
shown). These data
indicate that the clearance of toxin from the
serum is independent of
toxin
activity.
This work reopened questions initially addressed in the 1970s on the
differences between neonates and adults that result in
the neonatal
susceptibility to SSSS. Our results indicate that
mice aged 7 days or
less developed the symptoms of SSSS after
a single injection with
purified rETA, while mice 8 days of age
and older did not. There was
not a subtle decrease in susceptibility
with age; rather, a sharp
drop-off was seen between 7 and 8 days
of life. While it is established
that mice less than 5 days old
exfoliate in response to exfoliative
toxin producing
S. aureus and mice more than 7 days old do
not, this is the first study
in which a day-of-life response curve to
purified toxin was generated.
One hypothesis to explain the change in
susceptibility to rETA
is that the adaptive arm of the immune response
is protecting
the adult mice. The mouse adaptive immune system matures
within
the first 2 weeks of life, which correlates with the decrease
in
susceptibility. This hypothesis corresponds to the clinical
observation
that immunodeficient adults are significantly more
likely to develop
SSSS than are healthy adults. As demonstrated,
however, the adaptive
immune response does not play a role in
protecting adult mice from the
toxin.
These results address the question of the role of protective
anti-ETA antibodies in human adults. Over time, healthy humans
produce
antibodies that recognize the exfoliative toxins. In one
study, more
than 50% of persons over age 10 possessed antibodies
that
recognize ETA (
11). A conclusion drawn from this
observation
is that these antibodies are a factor in the protection of
adults
from the exfoliative toxins. It is not known if these antibodies
were raised against ETA or against a cross-reacting material.
The
prevalence of ETA-producing strains is low, representing only
5% of
clinical isolates in some settings, and this argues against
these being
specific
antibodies.
Despite this fact, however, anti-ETA antibodies clearly were not
protecting the adult mice in the mouse model used here. The
immunodeficient mice are not capable of producing antibodies,
and adult
immunodeficient mice were not affected by the toxin
at the largest dose
given (50 µg of toxin per g of body weight).
The normal adult mice
did not exfoliate after a single injection
of this high dose of toxin.
Although the normal mice would be
able to generate antibodies, it is
doubtful they came into contact
with either
S. aureus or ETA
before they were inoculated with
the toxin, as all mice used were
maintained in pathogen-free conditions
before inoculation. Finally,
even if the normal mice had been
exposed to toxin-producing
S. aureus, there would not be sufficient
time by day 9 of life to
generate the antibody levels needed to
provide
protection.
As opposed to antibody generation or any component of the
adaptive immune response, levels of toxin in serum play a clear
role in
the protection of adult mice. One- and 10-day-old mice
were given a
single injection of rETA at the same micrograms per
gram of body
weight. In the 10-day-old mice the maximal concentration
of toxin in
serum was observed at 60 min postinjection, the toxin
was cleared
rapidly, and exfoliation did not occur. In the 1-day-old
mice, the
maximal concentration of toxin in serum was seen at
120 min
postinjection, the toxin was not cleared even at 16 h
postinjection, and exfoliation occurred. Ten-day-old mice might
not
exfoliate after a single injection of toxin because they are
able to
clear rETA more efficiently than 1-day-old mice. The hypothesis
that
exfoliation is a function of toxin levels in serum was tested
by giving
10-day-old mice repeated injections of toxin. The concentration
of
toxin in serum of these animals reached the maximal levels
observed
with the single injection and remained at these maximal
levels.
Exfoliation occurred in these animals. The correlation
of exfoliation
with levels of toxin in serum might reflect that
a specific epidermal
concentration of toxin is needed for exfoliation
to occur and that, in
healthy adults (represented here by 10-day-old
mice), the toxin is
cleared from the serum before this critical
concentration of toxin can
accumulate. This corresponds to the
observations that adult patients
are often compromised and/or
renal deficient. The levels of toxin in
serum for these patients
would be high, and the toxin would not be
cleared
efficiently.
Why is the toxin cleared more rapidly in adult mice than in
neonatal mice? We did not address the mechanism of the differential
decrease in levels of toxin in serum. However, in 1976 Fritsch
et al.
(
8) demonstrated that iodinated ETA appears in the urine
of adult mice at high levels within 2 h postinjection. This rapid
and high level of clearance was not observed with neonatal mice.
Therefore, we conclude that, at least in part, the protection
of adult
mice is due to a more rapid renal clearance of the toxin
in the adult
compared to that in the neonatal mouse. The work
of Fritsch et al. did
not demonstrate any specific tissue accumulation
of this water-soluble
toxin, and the role of the liver in toxin
clearance is not
known.
Our present hypothesis regarding the susceptibility of adults
compared to that of neonates is the following. The epidermal
target of
the toxin is present in both adult and neonatal skin.
A specific
concentration of toxin is needed in the skin for exfoliation
to occur.
At toxin levels below this concentration some small
patches of cleavage
might occur, but these are not enough to produce
the exfoliation
associated with SSSS. In the neonate, toxin is
produced at a small
focus of infection, it gains access to the
bloodstream, and it
disseminates to the skin. The kidneys and
possibly the liver of the
neonates are not able to clear and inactivate
the toxin rapidly enough
to prevent the needed accumulation in
the epidermis. This is not the
situation with a healthy adult.
The toxin concentrations in serum of a
healthy adult are not maintained
at the levels needed for significant
amounts of the toxin to reach
the skin. However, when adults are
immunocompromised, septic,
or renal deficient, it is possible for
levels of toxin in serum
to remain high and allow toxin to collect in
the skin. While anti-ETA
antibodies might play a role in protecting
human adults, in the
mouse model they clearly are not necessary to
prevent
exfoliation.
SSSS is characterized by a specific separation of the epidermis at the
stratum granulosum. This cleavage is associated with
a disruption of
the desmosomes, with the surrounding cells remaining
intact. Recently,
ETA was demonstrated to cleave the desmosomal
protein desmogelin 1 (Dsg1), a member of the cadherin family of
cell adhesion molecules
(
3). Both ETA and ETB share amino acid
identity with
staphylococcal V8 protease, and significantly, this
identity includes
residues of the V8 protease serine-histidine-aspartate
catalytic triad,
a signature sequence common to serine proteases.
Mutation of any one of
the three amino acids in this proposed
catalytic site results in an
inactive toxin. Structural studies
indicate that both ETA and ETB are
related to the trypsin family
of serine proteases (
6,
13,
16,
17). Thus, after much
investigation, it can be concluded that
SSSS results from the
activity of skin-specific serine proteases that
target the desmosomal
protein
Dsg1.
 |
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS |
This work was supported by Public Health Service grants AI 01466 to
L.R.W.P. and AI 42353 to C.M.C.
We thank Orlando Gomez-Marin for assistance with statistical analysis
and Michelle Perez for help preparing the manuscript.
 |
FOOTNOTES |
*
Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of
Microbiology and Immunology, P.O. Box 016960 (R-138), Miami, FL 33101. Phone: (305) 243-6118. Fax: (305) 243-4623. E-mail:
ccollins{at}med.miami.edu.
Editor:
V. J. DiRita
 |
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Infection and Immunity, August 2001, p. 5193-5197, Vol. 69, No. 8
0019-9567/01/$04.00+0 DOI: 10.1128/IAI.69.8.5193-5197.2001
Copyright © 2001, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.
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