Abstract
Cellular immunity was investigated in 74 children with ARF grouped as with or without active carditis (AC) or inactive disease with valvular lesions (VL) and 26 healthy controls of the same age (4-17 yrs). Absolute lymphocyte counts were not significantly different from the controls. Skin test responses to PPD, candida and SKSD antigens, in vitro lymphocyte response (IVLR) (measured by the incorporation of H3Tdr into DNA) to phytohemagglutinin (PHA) was significantly decreased in patients with AC. IVLR to candida was similar in all groups. But SKSD response in the group of VL was higher (p<0.05) in comparison to the active disease group. Blastic transformation response to cardiac tissue antigens was present in 25% of the patients with AC, in 15% of the group without carditis, in 46% of the patients with VL and none of the controls. The plasma from patients with active disease caused a 50% or more inhibition in the blastic transformation response of the normal lymphocytes to PHA. These findings suggest that cellular immunity may play an important role in the pathogenesis of ARF and of RC.
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MeriƧ, N., Berkel, A. 157: Cellular immunity in children with acute rheumatic fever (ARF) and rheumatismal carditis (RC). Pediatr Res 10, 896 (1976). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197610000-00148
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197610000-00148