IgG4 Subclass-Specific Responses to Staphylococcus aureus Antigens Shed New Light on Host-Pathogen Interaction

Investigating sera from patients with epidermolysis bullosa, a genetic blistering disease associated with high S. aureus carriage rates, concludes that the IgG4 responses against a restricted panel of staphylococcal antigens consisting primarily of immune modulators and particular toxins indicate important roles for these virulence factors in stapholococcal pathogen-host interactions, such as chronicity of colonization and/or (subclinical) infections.