Bessen D E, Veasy L G, Hill H R, Augustine N H, Fischetti V A
Department of Epidemiology and Public Health (Microbiology Section), Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, USA.
J Infect Dis. 1995 Dec;172(6):1608-11. doi: 10.1093/infdis/172.6.1608.
Group A streptococci (GAS) of serotypes most commonly associated with rheumatic fever (RF) outbreaks differ from many other serotypes by the presence of a unique, surface-exposed epitope on the M protein molecule. Based on the presence or absence of this epitope, GAS are categorized as class I or II, respectively. The objective of this study was to determine whether RF patients have an altered immune response to the class I-specific epitope. Immunoreactivity to class I- and class II-specific epitopes was determined for serum IgG derived from persons with a recent history of acute RF, uncomplicated GAS pharyngitis, and no known recent GAS infection. The results indicate that only RF patients display elevated levels of serum IgG directed towards the class I-specific epitope; they lack immunoreactivity to the class II epitope. The serologic findings strongly suggest that many of the RF patients were recently infected with a class I GAS isolate.
与风湿热（RF）暴发最常相关的血清型A组链球菌（GAS），与许多其他血清型不同，其M蛋白分子上存在独特的、暴露于表面的表位。根据该表位的有无，GAS分别被归类为I类或II类。本研究的目的是确定RF患者对I类特异性表位的免疫反应是否改变。对近期有急性RF病史、单纯性GAS咽炎且近期无已知GAS感染的患者血清IgG，测定其对I类和II类特异性表位的免疫反应性。结果表明，只有RF患者针对I类特异性表位的血清IgG水平升高；他们对II类表位缺乏免疫反应性。血清学结果强烈提示，许多RF患者近期感染了I类GAS分离株。
