Biomaterial Database

Comparison of cotton and cotton/rayon tampons for effect on production of toxic shock syndrome toxin. 1995

P M Schlievert

Department of Microbiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis 55455, USA.

Studies were done to compare tampons made solely of cotton and made of both cotton and rayon for effect on growth of Staphylococcus aureus and production of toxic shock syndrome toxin-1 (TSST-1). Under stationary in vitro conditions in which tampons were either oversaturated or 50% saturated with culture media, the same amount of or more TSST-1 was made with cotton tampons than with cotton/rayon tampons. Similarly, when tested with the tampon sac method, cotton tampons yielded the same amount of or more toxin than did the cotton/rayon tampons. Bacterial cell numbers generally paralleled toxin production. These data indicate that cotton tampons neither prevent TSST-1 production nor significantly adsorb toxin onto the fibers to make toxin unavailable to cause toxic shock syndrome, in contrast to results of a previous study.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D002482	Cellulose	A polysaccharide with glucose units linked as in CELLOBIOSE. It is the chief constituent of plant fibers, cotton being the purest natural form of the substance. As a raw material, it forms the basis for many derivatives used in chromatography, ion exchange materials, explosives manufacturing, and pharmaceutical preparations.	Alphacel,Avicel,Heweten,Polyanhydroglucuronic Acid,Rayophane,Sulfite Cellulose,alpha-Cellulose,Acid, Polyanhydroglucuronic,alpha Cellulose
D003368	Gossypium	A plant genus of the family MALVACEAE. It is the source of COTTON FIBER; COTTONSEED OIL, which is used for cooking, and GOSSYPOL. The economically important cotton crop is a major user of agricultural PESTICIDES.	Cotton Plant,Cotton Plants,Gossypiums,Plant, Cotton,Plants, Cotton
D004768	Enterotoxins	Substances that are toxic to the intestinal tract causing vomiting, diarrhea, etc.; most common enterotoxins are produced by bacteria.	Staphylococcal Enterotoxin,Enterotoxin,Staphylococcal Enterotoxins,Enterotoxin, Staphylococcal,Enterotoxins, Staphylococcal
D001427	Bacterial Toxins	Toxic substances formed in or elaborated by bacteria; they are usually proteins with high molecular weight and antigenicity; some are used as antibiotics and some to skin test for the presence of or susceptibility to certain diseases.	Bacterial Toxin,Toxins, Bacterial,Toxin, Bacterial
D013211	Staphylococcus aureus	Potentially pathogenic bacteria found in nasal membranes, skin, hair follicles, and perineum of warm-blooded animals. They may cause a wide range of infections and intoxications.
D013630	Tampons, Surgical	Plugs or cylinders made of cotton, sponge, or other absorbent material. They are used in surgery to absorb fluids such as blood or drainage.	Surgical Tampon,Surgical Tampons,Tampon, Surgical
D018089	Superantigens	Microbial antigens that have in common an extremely potent activating effect on T-cells that bear a specific variable region. Superantigens cross-link the variable region with class II MHC proteins regardless of the peptide binding in the T-cell receptor's pocket. The result is a transient expansion and subsequent death and anergy of the T-cells with the appropriate variable regions.	Superantigen