Functional alterations in non-T cells in rheumatic heart disease

The mediation of the T cell lymphoproliferative response to streptococcal blastogen A by non-T mononuclear cells was studied in patients with rheumatic heart disease (RHD) and control subjects. Non-T cells are essential for T cell response to blastogen A. Non-T cells from RHD patients were less effective in enabling the T lymphocyte response to blastogen A than control non-T cells though no consistent difference was observed in the response to phytohaemagglutinin. The results suggest that a functional alteration is present in the non-T cells from RHD patients which might be related to the pathogenesis of the disease.