Model systems to study a superantigen-induced disease: Toxic shock syndrome

Toxic shock syndrome (TSS), a life-threatening illness, is caused by excessively high concentrations of proinflammatory cytokines released after superantigen stimulation of T-cell populations. Owing to the systemic cascade of effects initiated by these cytokines, TSS is an extremely complex pathologic condition, with no model equivalent to the human disease. Progress has been made, however, in understanding TSS by combining information of data obtained from in vitro, in vivo and in silico model systems.

Section editors:Enitan Carrol – Malawi-Liverpool-Wellcome Trust Clinical Research, Blantyre and Liverpool, Malawi and UKAndrew Riordan – Birmingham Heartlands Hospital, Birmingham, UK