Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Superantigens produced by staph bacteria cause deadly heart disease

== Superantigens produced by staph bacteria cause deadly heart disease ==
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MedicalNewsAroundTheWorld/~3/MLtCCjMHSwY/265028.php
(from Medical News Around The World)

University of Iowa researchers have discovered what causes the lethal effects of staphylococcal infective endocarditis - a serious bacterial infection of heart valves that kills approximately 20,000 Americans each year. According to the UI study, the culprits are superantigens - toxins produced in large quantities by Staphylococcus aureus (staph) bacteria - which disrupt the immune system, turning it from friend to foe. "The function of a superantigen is to 'mess' with the immune system," says Patrick Schlievert, Ph.D...

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