Influence of Staphylococcus aureus exosecretions isolated from bovine mastitis on leukocyte activity in vitro

The role of Staphylococcus aureus and coagulase-negative staphylococcal exosecretions was tested for its ability to elicit in vitro proliferation of bovine blood lymphocytes, which we determined by means of the 3H-thymidine proliferation assay and by flow cytometry. Exosecretions of 32 field strains of S. aureus isolated from bovine udder infection and one of each of S. intermedius (M2), S. hyicus (M5), S. xylosus (M6) and S. chromogenes (M10) were used. Of the 32 S. aureus bacterial exosecretions, only 14 stimulated bovine mononuclear cells to proliferate. A high degree of association was found when the proliferation indexes were compared with the virulence as determined by intracisternal inoculation. All the six S. aureus strains that were categorized as highly virulent and that were tested in the proliferation assay exhibited a proliferation index > 20, whereas the five S. aureus strains that were categorized as low did not stimulate at all. Cells treated with media or Columbia broth supplemented with 0.1% D-glucose, yeast extract, and 0.5% NaCl (CBs) did not exceed 15% of the T-cells double positive with CD25+, whereas incubation with Con A activated the T-cells to display CD25+ up to 90%. Cells treated with one of the exosecretions that stimulated bovine mononuclear cells to proliferate, stimulated CD3+ and CD4+ T-cells to exhibit CD25+ receptor significantly higher (P < 0.05) than that found in media and CBs treatments, but lower than those found in Con A treatments. The exosecretions that did not stimulate mononuclear cells to proliferate also did not activate T-cells to exhibit CD25+ receptor. Con A activated 74% out of the total CD8+ to exhibit ACT2 receptor and 50% out of the total CD4+ to exhibit ACT3 receptor. A few but not all of the exosecretions that activated the CD25 receptor on T-cells also activated the ACT3 receptor on CD4+ cells.