[Estimation of inflammatory activity in chronic rheumatic heart disease]

The difficulties in the activity diagnostics of chronic rheumatic heart diseases are explained. With the help of an antihuman myocardium immune serum of the goat 4 myocardiac, with the usual serum proteins non-identical antigens could be obtained, one of which was to be found in the serum of patients with florid carditis. Its proof was successful in 59 patients with carditis reactivation in 83%, in 93 patients without clinical and paraclinical signs of activity, however, only in 23%. Inpatients with myocardial infarction one part of the sera investigated reacted postively, in which case a temporary dependence on the acute process could be established. Of 100 sera of blood donors 4% had positive findings. Cross reactions with the pericardium refer to relations to antigens of the connective tissue. An identity with C-reactive protein could be excluded. The results of the examination are compared with usual activity parameters and with the findings in the antiglobulin consumption test after Steffen, taking into consideration the degree of activity. The proof of the circulating tissue antigen may serve for the enlargement of the diagnostic spectre in the judgment of the activity of carditic processes.