[Superantigens and toxic shock syndrome. A report of three cases treated with intravenous gammaglobulin]

Abstract

The superantigens cause a massive polyclonal activation of T-cells, producing an immense liberation of proinflamatory cytokines, which induces the clinical data of toxic shock syndrome. In international studies the administration of polyclonal intravenous gammaglobulin has been observed to diminish the mortality 50 to 20%. But at the present it has not been reported in Mexico the clinical effectiveness of this therapeutic modality in toxic shock syndrome. We report three cases of toxic shock syndrome treated with gammaglobulin intravenous, and we describe their favorable clinical evolution.