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STUDIES ON THE IMMUNE RESPONSE OF THE RHEUMATIC SUBJECT AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO ACTIVITY OF THE RHEUMATIC PROCESS :

A F Coburn1, R H Pauli

  • 1Department of Medicine, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, and the Presbyterian Hospital, New York.

The Journal of Experimental Medicine
|October 30, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Rheumatic symptoms in children are strongly linked to Streptococcus hemolyticus infection. Not all infected children develop acute rheumatism, suggesting individual immune response and disease patterns are key factors in rheumatic fever development.

Area of Science:

  • Rheumatology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Immunology

Background:

  • Acute rheumatism outbreaks are often preceded by Streptococcus hemolyticus infections.
  • Individual susceptibility and immune responses play a role in rheumatic fever development.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between Streptococcus hemolyticus infection and acute rheumatism in an isolated child colony.
  • To identify factors influencing the development of rheumatic symptoms following streptococcal infection.

Main Methods:

  • Observational study of a child colony during a Streptococcus hemolyticus epidemic.
  • Monitoring of infection status, rheumatic symptom development, and antistreptolysin antibody titers.

Main Results:

  • Children who did not contract Streptococcus hemolyticus infection did not develop rheumatic symptoms.
  • Of 17 infected children, 14 developed acute rheumatism; 3 did not.
  • Factors influencing rheumatic recrudescence included the infecting agent's efficacy, individual disease patterns, and immune response intensity (antistreptolysin titer).

Conclusions:

  • Streptococcus hemolyticus infection is a critical factor in acute rheumatism.
  • Individual host factors, including immune response, significantly modulate the risk and manifestation of rheumatic fever.
  • Environmental and dietary factors were not significant in this specific outbreak.

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