Nonproduction of toxic shock syndrome toxin 1 by coagulase-negative staphylococci.

We tested 187 strains of coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS) for the production of toxic shock syndrome toxin 1 (TSST-1). A total of 111 CNS strains were isolated from the tampons of menstruating women and 74 were isolated from unused tampons. Two strains were isolated from the genital tract of a patient with toxic shock syndrome. Strains were cultivated by the membrane-over-agar method to enhance production of TSST-1, and culture supernatants were tested by two exquisitely sensitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. None of the 187 CNS strains produced TSST-1. We conclude that CNS colonizing the genital tracts of menstruating women and unused tampons produce TSST-1 infrequently, if ever, and are unlikely to play a role in toxic shock syndrome.