[IgG antibodies to toxic shock syndrome toxin-1 (TSST-1) in human sera].

IgG antibodies against toxic shock syndrome toxin-1 (TSST-1) in 2002 human sera were determined using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The results indicate a very early common exposure to TSST-1 in German males and females. The antibody titers are increasing up to the age of 20. They continue to increase further from the mid-thirties, reaching a peak level in the mid-fifties. Toxic shock syndrome is rarely described in Germany. It is possible, therefore, that most of the infections with TSST-1 producing S. aureus are of a subclinical nature. An atypical, less dramatic course than the commonly known toxic shock syndrome is also discussed.