Superantigens in sepsis

Sepsis is increasingly caused by Gram-positive bacteria. Super-antigens (SAg) are products of Gram-positive bacteria that are responsible for toxic shock syndrome, however their role in sepsis is generally unknown. We sought to determine a possible role for SAg in sepsis by looking for an altered Vβ profile on circulating T cells using monoclonal antibodies and flow cytometry. We studied 20 patients with septic shock admitted for intensive care and compared them to 11 non-septic adults. We found patients with sepsis had a different Vβ profile compared to controls. This suggests that SAg are pathogenic in some patients with sepsis.