Heart Muscle Antibodies in Rheumatic Fever and Other Diseases.

Serum factors reactive with human heart or extracts of human heart have been found by a number of investigators utilizing a variety of immunologic techniques (1-7). Kaplan, Meyeserian, and Kushner (8) have demonstrated reactive factors in the sera of patients with acute rheumatic fever and certain other diseases by an immunofluorescent technique. The present study, using the immunofluorescent method, was undertaken to determine the relationship of these serum factors to the clinical state of rheumatic fever, with particular reference to the presence of carditis. The influence of recent streptococcal infection and the occurrence of the serum factors in a number of other disease states were also evaluated.