[Serologic indices of the persistence of L forms of group A streptococci in patients with rheumatism].
A study of 1343 rheumatic patients has shown that during acute disease high titres of antibodies to streptococcus L forms were detected in 76%, and were declining rapidly with clinical improvement. In protracted rheumatism, high antibody titres were maintained constantly in 70%; those were mostly IgM, incapable of blocking L-form growth. The antigen of streptococcus L form was only detected in 18-25% of the patients, obviously because it was bound to circulating immune complexes in 64%. It is suggested that streptococcal L forms are capable of prolonged persistence in the body, affecting the course of disease in rheumatic patients; possible persistence of L forms as part of immune complexes is of particular importance.
Goncharova
S A
SA
Gorina
L G
LG
Vul'fovich
Iu V
IuV
Zheverzheeva
I V
IV
Labinskaia
A S
AS
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis*; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D007740:L Forms / Q000276:immunology*; D012216:Rheumatic Diseases / Q000276:immunology*; D013297:Streptococcus pyogenes / Q000276:immunology*
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial
Serologicheskie pokazateli persistentsii L-form streptokokka gruppy A u bol'nykh revmatizmom.