Studies on Type-Specific Streptococcal Antibody in Rheumatic Heart Disease

概要

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Boyden's tannic acid hemagglutination technique as modified by us was used to study streptococcal type-specific antibodies. The type-specificity of the reaction was demonstrated in many fundamental experiments. Three hundred one sera, including sera from patients with rheumatic fever, rheumatic heart disease, miscellaneous heart diseases, nephritis, scarlet fever, rheumatoid arthritis and appropriate controls were investigated with 42 of Lancefield's 48 types of Group A Streptococci. Most sera from patients with rheumatic heart disease showed significantly high titers in two or more types. How-ever, the sera of individuals with non-rheumatic heart disease and without disease, this was rarely seen. It is suggested that the number of types with high titers correlates with the recurrences of rheumatic fever and aggravation of rheumatic heart disease. Our studies reaffirm the close connection of rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease with streptococcal infection, and suggest a justification for the long-term prophylactic use of penicillin in patients with rheumatic fever.
International Heart Journal刊行会の論文