Assay Details

Staphylococcal superantigens (sAgs)  bind to human class II major histocompatibility complex (MHC) on antigen-presenting cells and certain subsets of T cell receptor on T lymphocytes. This cross-linking results in massive stimulation of lymphocytes triggering the release of multiple cytokines.

Neutralization of toxin can be measured in vitro by monitoring the reduction in sAg induced interferon-gamma production. These toxin neutralization assays have been established for Staphylococcal Enterotoxin A, Staphylococcal Enterotoxin B, Staphylococcal Enterotoxin C and TSST-1.