Background/Objective: To clarify the state of different immunologic factors in patients with acute rheumatic fever (ARF) and rheumatic heart disease (RHD) compared to healthy individuals.Patients and Methods: Patients with ARF (#21), patients with RHD six months after the onset of ARF (#19), and healthy children from the same age group with normal physical examination and no history of pharyngi...

OBJECTIVES Acute rheumatic fever and its sequel, rheumatic heart disease, is a major problem in children, adolescents and young adults. Despite the widespread application of the Jones criterions, carditis is either underdiagnosed or overdiagnosed. Echocardiography is rarely used optimally for precise diagnosis. The objective of our study, therefore, was to define the potential role of echocardi...

In the developing countries of the world, rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease remain significant medical and public health problems

BACKGROUND Complications of rheumatic heart disease are associated with severe morbidity and mortality in developing countries where the disease prevalence remains high. Due to lack of screening services, many patients present late, with severe valve disease. In Uganda, the disease and its complications are still not well studied. OBJECTIVE To profile and describe cardiovascular complications...

AB STRA CT Proportions and total numbers of thymus-derived (T) and bone marrow-derived (B) peripheral blood lymphocytes were studied in 53 patients with acute rheumatic fever, diagnosed on the basis of modified Jones criteria. An elevation in both proportions and absolute numbers of cells bearing surface Ig was found in most patients, particularly during the first 7 days after onset. Conversely...