A Severe Case of Neonatal Toxic Shock Syndrome-Like Exanthematous Disease With Superantigen-Induced High T Cell Response

Abstract

Most newborn patients with a neonatal type of toxic shock syndrome (TSS), called neonatal TSS-like exanthematous disease (NTED), exhibit mild clinical symptoms. We present the case of a patient with NTED who exhibited exceptionally severe clinical symptoms and an adult-type T cell response to the causative toxin TSS toxin-1.

Interaction of toxin-1 and T lymphocytes in toxic shock syndrome

“…Therefore, TSST-1 stimulates T cell proliferation in TSS. Even in neonatal TSS, the adult-type T cell responds to TSST-1 (44). Lymphopenia and impaired cellular immunity were found in TSS patients, although at a lower incidence than in patients with septic shock (45), suggesting the involvement of T cell immune responses in TSST-1 induced TSS.…”