Serum antibody to staphylococcal teichoic acid and α-haemolysin in dermatological patients

Abstract

Teichoic acid antibody (TAA) titres and antibody to alpha-haemolysin of Staphylococcus aureus (ASta) were measured in 274 dermatological patients and 200 normal controls. Positive ASta values (greater than or equal to 2.0 iu/ml) were common in patients with chronic pruritic dermatoses such as atopic dermatitis (44% ASta positive) and infective eczema (28% ASta positive), but patients with primary pyoderma were all ASTa negative. Positive TAA titres (greater than or equal to 1:4) were seen less frequently than positive ASta values, but still significantly more often in atopic dermatitis patients than in controls. Routine skin swabs were taken from all patients, but positive TAA or ASta tests correlated neither with growth of Staphylococcus aureus from skin lesions nor with signs of clinical infection. This study shows that the TAA test cannot be used as an indicator of septic staphylococcal infection in patients with atopic dermatitis.

Characterization of Alpha-Toxin hla Gene Variants, Alpha-Toxin Expression Levels, and Levels of Antibody to Alpha-Toxin in Hemodialysis and Postsurgical Patients with Staphylococcus aureus Bacteremia

“…High antibody levels to alpha-toxin have been described in S. aureus subjects with various dermatoses and especially in atopic dermatitis subjects (50). A more recent study evaluating the risk of sepsis in S. aureus-infected patients showed that the incidence of sepsis was significantly lower in patients with higher IgG levels against alpha-toxin, Hld, Panton-Valentine leukocidin, SEC-1, and PSM-␣3 (36).…”

Occurrence of antibodies to teichoic acid in patients with diseases other than staphylococcal infection

“…One of the two patients with a slightly elevated ASta and a high TAA titre had atopic dermatitis, a condition in which elevated ASta values and TAA titres are likely to occur (Mustakallio, 1966;Larinkari, 1982~). The other patient had viral hepatitis, arthritis and psoriasis, conditions in which ASta and TAA usually remain in the normal range (Mustakallio, 1966;Larinkari, 1982a).…”

“…They have been found usually in low titres in some patients with streptococcal and diphtheroid endocarditis, (Hoppes and White, 1975;Nagel et al, 1975;Tuazon et al, 1978;Bayer et al, 1980). Relatively high TAA titres have also been reported in a small fraction of healthy controls as well as patients with non-infectious diseases (Leffell et al, 1978;Tenenbaum and Archer, 1980;Larinkari, 1982a).…”

“…One serum sample was examined from each person. This material was used as the control group in two earlier papers (Larinkari, 1982a and b) but it is now analysed more accurately by age.…”

“…Especially high TAA titres have been found in staphylococcal endocarditis and in other complicated staphylococcal infectibns with metastatic abscess formation (Crowder and White, 1972;Nagel et al, 1975;Tuazon and Sheagren, 1976;Tuazon et al, 1978;Wheat et al, 1978;Bayer et al, 1980;Tenenbaum and Archer, 1980). Patients with atopic dermatitis often have high TAA titres without evidence of clinical infection (Larinkari, 1982a).…”