1. Staphylococcal exotoxins exert proinflammatory effects through inhibition of eosinophil apoptosis, increased surface antigen expression (CD11b, CD45, CD54, and CD69), and enhanced cytokine-activated oxidative burst, thereby triggering allergic inflammatory reactions 
Bettina Wedi, MD, Dorothea Wieczorek, Tanja Stünkel, Kristine Breuer, MD, Alexander Kapp, MD 
Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology 
Volume 109, Issue 3, Pages (March 2002)
DOI: /mai
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2. Fig. 1
Preincubation with polymyxin B-;blocked, LPS-mediated (but not SET-mediated) inhibition of eosinophil apoptosis. LPS in the concentrations indicated (in nanograms per milliliter) or SEA, SEB, SEC, or TSST-1 (1 μg/mL each) was preincubated for 10 minutes with (+ PB) or without (− PB) polymyxin B (50 U/mL) and thereafter incubated at 37°C in 5% CO2 for 48 hours. Data are presented as means ± SD of 4 experiments. *P < .05, **P < .01 versus respective value without polymyxin B.
Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology  , DOI: ( /mai )
Copyright © 2002 Mosby, Inc. Terms and Conditions

3. Fig. 2
A , SET-induced inhibition of spontaneous eosinophil apoptosis in comparison with that induced by IL-3. Eosinophils were incubated with medium (Med) , IL-3 (10 ng/mL) or SEA, SEB, SEC, or TSST-1 in the concentrations indicated (in micrograms per milliliter) for 24 (filled columns) , 48 (open columns) , or 72 (shaded columns) hours. B , Inhibition of anti-Fas mAb-;induced eosinophil apoptosis by IL-3 and SETs. Eosinophils were incubated for 24 (filled columns) , 48 (open columns) , or 72 (shaded columns) hours with anti-Fas mAb (2 μg/mL) and the indicated stimulus: medium (Med) , IL-3 (10 ng/mL), SEA (1 μg/mL), SEB (5 μg/mL), SEC (5 μg/mL), or TSST-1 (5 μg/mL). Data are presented as means ± SEM of 11 experiments with eosinophils from different donors. *P < .05, **P < .01, ***P < .001 versus respective medium value.
Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology  , DOI: ( /mai )
Copyright © 2002 Mosby, Inc. Terms and Conditions

4. Fig. 3
IL-3 and SEB upregulated the eosinophil activation marker CD69. Eosinophils were stimulated for 24 hours with control medium, IL-3 (10 mg/mL), SEB (1 μg/mL or 5 μg/mL), or LPS (10 ng/mL) before surface expression of CD69 (thick line) , and the respective isotype control (thin line) was assessed by means of flow cytometric analysis. The experiment is representative of 8 different experiments. In contrast, the other SETs (ie, SEA, SEC, and TSST-1) were ineffective. For P values, see Table II.
Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology  , DOI: ( /mai )
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5. Fig. 4
Time course of GM-CSF-;enhanced eosinophil oxidative burst after 24 hours' prestimulation with SETs. Eosinophils were preincubated for 24 hours with SEA, SEB, SEC, or TSST-1 (5 μg/mL each) or LPS (10 ng/mL) and thereafter directly activated with GM-CSF (10 ng/mL). Integral counts were obtained from a 0- to 60-minute incubation interval immediately after addition of cytokines and were indicated as intensity counts ×10−3. The experiment is representative of 5 different experiments. For P values of all experiments, see Table III.
Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology  , DOI: ( /mai )
Copyright © 2002 Mosby, Inc. Terms and Conditions