[Antistreptococcal antibodies in the blood serum of glomerulonephritis patients]

To study humoral antistreptococcal immunity, 29 patients with acute glomerulonephritis (AGN), 211 patients with chronic glomerulonephritis (CGN) and 30 healthy donors were examined. According to EIA, blood sera of the indicated groups demonstrated antibodies (AB) to structural components of Streptococcus--A-polysaccharide (A-ps) and hyaluronic acid (HA) and to its extracellular products--streptokinase (SK) and streptolysin-O (ASLO). It has been shown that in the blood of AGN patients, the levels of AB to A-ps, SK and ASLO were high. The highest level of AB and SK was detected in 55% of the patients with the disease standing of up to half a year. In patients of all the clinical groups of CGN, the levels of AB to A-ps, SK and HA were elevated. The degree of the rise of the levels of all AB depended on the disease activity. Of prognostic importance in the chronicity of AGN and progression of CGN are high titers of AB and SK. The etiological role of streptococcus in glomerulonephritis and its importance in CGN exacerbation and prognosis are under discussion.