Large-scale early in vitro response to Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans suggests superantigenic activation of T-cells

The mode of T-cell response to Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans is largely unknown. The present study sought to investigate the hypothesis that A. actinomycetemcomitans expresses superantigens, capable of antigen-non-specific T-cell activation. To that end, peripheral blood mononuclear cells were stimulated with A. actinomycetemcomitans, and T-cell expression of the early activation marker, CD69, was determined by flow cytometry. Results showed that A. actinomycetemcomitans activated a large number of T-cells with magnitude similar to that of staphylococcal enterotoxin superantigens. A. actinomycetemcomitans sonicate preferentially activated T-cells expressing V beta5.1 and V beta8, while the extracellular preparation activated V beta5.1(+), V beta8(+), and V beta 12(+) T-cells. T-cell response to A. actinomycetemcomitans was observed in the presence of autologous, as well as heterologous, antigen-presenting cells, suggesting a MHC-non-restricted response. Thus, the in vitro response to A. actinomycetemcomitans is characterized by large-scale T-cell activation in a V beta -specific and MHC-non-restricted manner, consistent with the involvement of superantigens.