Activation of human monocytes by Streptococcus mutans serotype f polysaccharide: immunoglobulin G Fc receptor expression and tumor necrosis factor and interleukin-1 production.

Streptococcus mutans serotype f polysaccharide (poly f) was prepared from S. mutans whole cells by autoclaving. The poly f was purified by chromatography on DEAE Trisacryl M and Bio-Gel P100, treated with insoluble pronase, and resubjected to chromatography on DEAE Trisacryl M. Normal human blood monocytes, stimulated in vitro with purified poly f, produced extracellular tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta) in a dose-dependent fashion as determined by a heterologous two-site sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Poly f also increased the expression of monocyte cell surface receptors for the Fc part of human immunoglobulin G, activity which is correlated with an increase of the phagocytic activity of the stimulated monocytes. Polymyxin B had no effect on TNF-alpha and IL-1 beta release. Neutralization assays with anti-recombinant human TNF-alpha and anti-recombinant human IL-1 beta immunoglobulin G confirmed the fact that the cytotoxic and mitogenic mediators released by the poly f-stimulated monocytes were mainly TNF-alpha and IL-1 beta.