Faculty Bibliography

Super-absorbent tampons and an exotoxin of Staphylococcus aureus have been associated with the recent emergence of toxic shock syndrome (TSS). In the majority of cases, when a TSS strain of S. aureus was cultivated in the presence of various tampons and a contraceptive sponge, increased amounts of toxic shock syndrome toxin-1 (TSST-1) were observed to be produced into the blood medium by the bacterium. The amplification of toxin by these products adds support to the epidemiologic data in establishing the causal link between tampons and TSS

beta-glucosidase, cellulase, alpha-mannosidase, beta-galactosidase, and N-acetyl-beta-glucosaminidase were tested for their ability to hydrolyse the carboxymethylcellulose contained in 'Rely' tampons (R-CMC). The end-products of the hydrolysis were determined by chromatography. Only beta-glucosidase and cellulase hydrolysed R-CMC and the major product detectable after enzymic degradation was glucose, as confirmed chromatographically and by the glucose oxidase test. The enzymic-degradation products of R-CMC were able to support the growth of a toxic-shock-syndrome strain of Staphylococcus aureus. This finding suggests that as it is degraded by enzymes in the vaginal cavity R-CMC may become an exogenous source of nutrients for pathogenic organisms