[Study of the association of histocompatibility antigens with rheumatism]

Study of histocompatibility antigens of the HIA system in 86 patients with rheumatic fever has demonstrated the high rate of the antigens AII, B27, Cw2, 3, Dr5, 7 as compared with control (600 healthy persons). It is therefore necessary to point to the involvement of the HIA system in the formation of proneness to rheumatic fever and its clinical varieties. Special attention should be drawn to the locus HIA C. Histocompatibility antigens associated with rheumatic fever can be viewed as risk factors which should necessarily be taken into account during the conduction of the primary prophylaxis, especially in children coming from the families whose members are afflicted with rheumatic fever as well as in predicting the character of the disease progress and heart disease formation. The presence in the phenotype of A2, AII, B13, 27, Cw2, 3 is associated with a continuously relapsing disease. A10 occurs only in an acute disease marked by a high degree of activity. Mitral diseases are associated with A9, B27, Cw2, 3 whereas aortal distress with AII, B7, 27 and Cw2. B13, Bw35, Cw2 and Dr7 are mostly demonstrable in patients without any heart disease, Dr4 occurs in diseases characterized by minimal activity.