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Infections Post Transplant

Viridans streptococcal septicaemia in neutropenic patients: role of proinflammatory cytokines

Bone Marrow Transplantation volume 33, pages 79–85 (2004)Cite this article

Summary:

The immunostimulatory activity of viridans streptococcal strains isolated from neutropenic patients with severe sepsis (n=9) or uncomplicated bacteraemia (n=10) was compared. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells from healthy individuals were stimulated with heat-killed bacteria or culture supernatants, and cytokine production assessed. All strains were potent inducers of IL1β, IL8, and TNFα production. Heat-killed bacteria induced consistently higher IL1β and TNFα production than did the cell-free bacterial supernatants (P<0.01). The strains did not induce any proliferative response, nor any significant TNFβ or IFNγ production. No difference in cytokine-inducing capacity could be detected between the cohorts of severe and nonsevere isolates. Comparison of strains causing severe and nonsevere episodes in the same patient (n=2) revealed a significantly higher induction of IL1β by the severe episodes associated isolates as compared to the nonsevere (P<0.04). The study underscores the importance of the host–pathogen interplay in determining the level of inflammation, and hence the severity of disease.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by grants awarded by the Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research, Children's Cancer Foundation (1996/079 to ES, 2001/012 to MR, and 1999/004 to JA), grants from the Swedish Cancer Foundation (to OR), the Karolinska Institutet (to AN-T) and the Swedish Medical Research Council (012610 to AN-T and 10850 to JA), and Tobias Foundation (to AN-T). This study was conducted in accordance with guidelines for human experimentation as specified by the Ethical committee at Huddinge University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medicine, Center for Infectious Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden

    N Ihendyane, E Sparrelid, J Andersson & A Norrby-Teglund

  2. Department of Immunology Microbiology, Pathology and Infection, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden

    B Wretlind, M Remberger & O Ringdén

  3. Center for Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplant, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden

    M Remberger & O Ringdén

  4. Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden

    P Ljungman

  5. Microbiology and Tumor Biology Center, Huddinge University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden

    B Henriques Normark

  6. Department of Molecular Epidemiology and Biotechnology, Swedish Institute for Infectious Disease Control, Solna, Sweden

    B Henriques Normark

  7. Division of Infectious Diseases, Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

    U Allen

  8. Department of Microbiology, Mount Sinai Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

    D E Low

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  1. N Ihendyane
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Correspondence to A Norrby-Teglund.

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Ihendyane, N., Sparrelid, E., Wretlind, B. et al. Viridans streptococcal septicaemia in neutropenic patients: role of proinflammatory cytokines. Bone Marrow Transplant 33, 79–85 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bmt.1704302

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bmt.1704302

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