Dual Effects of Extracellular Adherence Protein from Staphylococcus aureus on Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells
Departments of 1Laboratory Medicine and 2Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
Extracellular adherence protein (Eap) has been suggested as an important virulence factor of Staphylococcus aureus because it enhances bacterial adherence and internalization into eukaryotic cells, interference with T cells, and neutrophil adherence to endothelial cells. We demonstrate that Eap has dual effects on peripheral blood mononuclear cells, depending on its concentration. At low concentrations (up to 9 μg/mL), Eap induces a proliferative response; at higher concentrations, it causes a significant inhibition of T cell proliferation induced by S. aureus supernatants toxic shock syndrome toxin–1 or phytohemagglutinin. A marked increase in apoptotic (i.e., Annexin V and propidium iodide positive) T and B cells could be demonstrated after exposure to the inhibitory concentration of Eap. Human anti–Eap antibodies prepared from polyspecific immunoglobulin G (IgG) blocked the immunomodulatory effects of Eap. Our results demonstrate novel immunomodulatory activities of Eap and identify potential mechanisms of action of intravenous IgG therapy in the treatment of S. aureus infections.
Received 16 September 2004; accepted 24 February 2005; electronically published 13 June 2005.
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Online publication date: 1-Jan-2006.
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Financial support: The Swedish Research Council (grants 12218 to J.‐I.F. and 12610 to A.N.‐T.); Biostapro AB; Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research (grant A3 02:098).





