Novel staphylococcal superantigens in children with Kawasaki disease

Abstract

The aetiology of Kawasaki disease (KD), particularly the role of superantigens, remains controversial. We have investigated the presence of all reported staphylococcal superantigens in KD patients and healthy controls. Methods 87 children with KD and 57 similarly aged healthy children undergoing routine vaccination were screened by bacterial nasal swabs for the presence of superantigen-producing Staphylococcus aureus. A specifically developed T-cell proliferation assay detected mitogenic activity in sterile bacterial culture supernatants, indicative of superantigen activity. The presence of the S. aureus-specific nuc gene and genes for all reported staphylococcal superantigen toxins (i.e. to..