Relationship of Acute Rheumatic Fever to Acute Glomerulonephritis in Trinidad

• Published in: The Journal of infectious diseases Vol. 125; no. 6; pp. 619 - 625
• Main Authors: Potter, Elizabeth V., Svartman, Mauri, Burt, Emma G., Finklea, John F., Poon-King, Theo, Earle, David P.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States The University of Chicago Press 01-06-1972; University of Chicago Press
• Subjects: Acute kidney failure; Antibodies; Antistreptolysin - analysis; Epidemics; Glomerulonephritis; Glomerulonephritis - complications; Glomerulonephritis - immunology; Hospital admissions; Humans; Hyaluronoglucosaminidase - antagonists & inhibitors; Immunoglobulins - analysis; Infections; Lesions; Nephritis; Original Articles; Rheumatic fever; Rheumatic Fever - complications; Rheumatic Fever - immunology; Skin Diseases - complications; Skin Diseases - immunology; Streptococcus - isolation & purification; Throat; Trinidad and Tobago; Trinidad and Tobago
• ISSN: 0022-1899; 1537-6613
• DOI: 10.1093/infdis/125.6.619

The incidence of acute rheumatic fever decreased during a major epidemic of acute glomerulonephritis in Trinidad in 1965. Subsequently, several minor increases in the incidence of acute rheumatic fever have been coincident with more marked increases in the incidence of acute glomerulonephritis. The relation of streptococcal infections to acute glomerulonephritis has been studied in Trinidad for the past six years. Their relation to acute rheumatic fever also has been examined during the last year of these studies. The streptococcal strains isolated from patients with acute rheumatic fever generally have differed from those found in patients with acute glomerulonephritis. Moreover, while streptococcal skin infections have been associated with acute glomerulonephritis, no such association has been apparent with rheumatic fever. However, titers of antistreptolysin O were relatively low, while titers of antihyaluronidase were markedly increased in the patients with acute rheumatic fever, much as they have been in most patients with acute glomerulonephritis in Trinidad.