The effect of Staphylococcus epidermidis slime protease on the production of lymphokine.

Abstract

We studied the effect of slime protease isolated from Staphylococcus epidermidis on the production of interleukin-3(IL-3) and macrophage activating factor (MAF) by T lymphocytes. The production of IL-3 by mouse spleen lymphocytes was suppressed dose-dependently by treatment with S. epidermidis slime protease (25,50 and 100μg/ml). Namely, the incorporation of ³H-thymidine into mouse myeloblasts decreased. The production of MAF was also suppressed dose-dependently. We observed that the glucose content remaining in the culture medium increased after treatment with S. epidermidis slime protease.

These results suggest that S. epidermidis slime protease which inhibits the production of lymphokines by T lymphocytes, is one of the serious pathogenic factors.