Salivary immunoglobulins and streptococcal antibodies in patients with acute rheumatic fever.

Evidence of a local immunologic response to recent pharyngeal infection with group A streptococci was sought in 23 patients with acute rheumatic fever. Salivas from these patients were examined and compared with salivas from control subjects. As assayed, both IgG and IgA values ranged between 8 and 170 mg. per 100 ml. in 10-fold concentrated samples of saliva. When these values were corrected for the concentration of the samples and for the use of serum IgA standards, the following mean values were obtained: for patients with acute rheumatic fever, IgG was 4.5 mg. per 100 ml. and IgA was 8.7 mg. per 100 ml.; for control subjects, IgG was 5.0 mg per 100 ml. and IgA was 9.9 mg. per 100 ml. IgM was present in amounts of 1 to 2 mg. per 100 ml. in 2 patients and 7 control subjects. Antistreptolysin O titers correlated with amounts of IgG in the saliva samples while antihyaluronidase, antigroup A carbohydrate, and antiteichoic acid titers did not. None of the antibody titers correlated with the IgA content of the saliva samples. Furthermore, saliva antibody titers did not differ between patients with acute rheumatic fever and control subjects.