This paper is only available as a PDF. To read, Please Download here.
Abstract
The persistence of elevated levels of antibody to the streptococcal group A polysaccharide
(A-antibody) in patients with chronic rheumatic valvular heart disease was previously
reported. Other studies have shown that valvular glycoproteins share common antigenic
determinants with the streptococcal polysaccharide. The possibility that valvular
damage per se contributes to the elevated antibody levels was examined in the present
study by measuring the levels of A-autibody in the serum of patients with congenital
heart disease and in patients with chronic rheumatic valvular heart disease. The results
show that in the absence of evidence for antecedent group A streptococcal infection,
the levels of the A-antibody in patients with congenital heart disease are normal,
in contrast to the elevated levels found in patients with rheumatic heart disease.
To test whether acute valvular damage would affect the A-antibody levels, similar
determinations were performed on patients with bacterial endocarditis superimposed
on rheumatic or congenital heart disease. The A-antibody levels obtained on these
two groups of patients with bacterial endocarditis were not significantly different
from the values obtained for the corresponding group of patients without endocarditis.
These findings suggest that valvular damage does not contribute to the elevated A-antibody
levels in patients with chronic rheumatic valvular disease.
To read this article in full you will need to make a payment
Purchase one-time access:
Academic & Personal: 24 hour online accessCorporate R&D Professionals: 24 hour online accessOne-time access price info
- For academic or personal research use, select 'Academic and Personal'
- For corporate R&D use, select 'Corporate R&D Professionals'
Subscribe:
Subscribe to Translational ResearchAlready a print subscriber? Claim online access
Already an online subscriber? Sign in
Register: Create an account
Institutional Access: Sign in to ScienceDirect
References
- Analysis of human streptococcal infections by immunodiffusion studies of the antibody response.in: The streptococcus, rheumatic fever and glomerulonephritis. The William & Wilkins Company, Baltimore1964: 83
- The cellular antigens of Group A streptococci. Immunoelectrophoretic studies of the C, M, T, PGP, E4F, and E antigens of serotype 17 streptococci.J. Exp. Med. 1963; 118: 527
- Utilisation du polyoside streptococcique marque au 14C pour determination de faibles quantites d'anticorps specifiques des serums experimentaux et humans.Rev. Immun. 1964; 28: 193
- The determination of antibody to Group A streptococcal polysaccharide in human sera by hemagglutination.J. Exp. Med. 1965; 121: 793
- Detection of streptococcal group-specific antibodies in human sera.J. Exp. Med. 1965; 122: 195
- Persistence of streptococcal Group A antibody in patients with rheumatic valvular disease.J. Exp. Med. 1968; 128: 1081
- Immunological relationship between streptococcus A polysaccharide and the structural glycoproteins of heart valve.Nature. 1967; 213: 44
- Isolation from heart valves of glycopeptides which share immunological properties with streptococcus haemolyticus Group A polysaccharides.Nature. 1968; 219: 866
- Protocol for micro antistreptolysin O determinations.J. Bact. 1964; 87: 1254
- Streptococcal anti-desoxyribonuclease B: Microtechnique determination.J. Lab. Clin. Med. 1968; 71: 867
- Evaluation of streptococcal desoxyribonuclease B and diphosphopyridine nucleotidase antibody tests in acute rheumatic fever and acute glomerulonephritis.Pediatrics. 1962; 29: 527
- Acid mucopolysaccharide composition of human heart valve.Biochem. Biophys. Acta. 1965; 101: 285
Article info
Publication history
Accepted:
June 9,
1970
Received:
March 17,
1970
Footnotes
☆This study was supported by a research grant from the National Institutes of Health, No. AI 08539-03, United States Public Health Service, and the Developmental Physiology Training Grant, National Institutes of Health, No. T1-HD0054.
Identification
Copyright
© 1970 Published by Elsevier Inc.
