Exploring the Role of Staphylococcus aureus in Inflammatory Diseases

Abstract

Staphylococcus aureus is a very common Gram-positive bacterium, and S. aureus infections play an extremely important role in a variety of diseases. This paper describes the types of virulence factors involved, the inflammatory cells activated, the process of host cell death, and the associated diseases caused by S. aureus. S. aureus can secrete a variety of enterotoxins and other toxins to trigger inflammatory responses and activate inflammatory cells, such as keratinocytes, helper T cells, innate lymphoid cells, macrophages, dendritic cells, mast cells, neutrophils, eosinophils, and basophils. Activated inflammatory cells can express various cytokines and induce an inflammatory response. S. aureus can also induce host cell death through pyroptosis, apoptosis, necroptosis, autophagy, etc. This article discusses S. aureus and MRSA (methicillin-resistant S. aureus) in atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, pulmonary cystic fibrosis, allergic asthma, food poisoning, sarcoidosis, multiple sclerosis, and osteomyelitis. Summarizing the pathogenic mechanism of Staphylococcus aureus provides a basis for the targeted treatment of Staphylococcus aureus infection.

Keywords: Staphylococcus aureus; apoptosis; autophagy; inflammatory cells; necroptosis; pyroptosis; toxin.

Figure 1

Inflammatory cell types in the pathogenesis of Staphylococcus aureus. Different virulence factors of S. aureus can induce activation of Tfh, Th1, Th2, Th9, and Th17 cells, which play a role in chronic sinusitis, AD, asthma, itch, psoriasis, septic arthritis, and CGD. Eos: eosinophils, Bas: basophils, MC: mast cells, Mø: macrophage.

Figure 2

Types of cell death induced by S. aureus. The multiple toxins of S. aureus can induce multiple modes of cell death, including apoptosis, necroptosis, pyroptosis, and cell autophagy, and play a role in diseases as diverse as renal abscesses, septic arthritis, cancer, bacteremia, chronic sinusitis, pneumonia, venous infections, sepsis, psoriasis, and diseases caused by MRSA. Blue arrows represent apoptotic pathways; purple arrows represent the pyroptosis cell death pathway; yellow arrows represent the necroptotic pathway; green arrows represent the autophagic pathway.

Figure 3

Types of diseases caused by S. aureus. S. aureus can cause a variety of systemic diseases, including skin diseases, respiratory diseases, food poisoning, autoimmune diseases, osteomyelitis, DFI, and the formation of MRSA.