Even in the absence of an appropriate model or direct evidence, T cells have been hypothesized to exacerbate the manifestations of Lyme disease. To define definitely the role of T cells in Lyme disease, the course of disease in immunocompetent and B cell-deficient mice was compared. By 8 wk postinoculation, immunocompetent mice resolved both carditis and arthritis, whereas foci of myocarditis a...

Mice injected intraperitoneally with isolated cell wall fragments of Group A streptococci develop a carditis similar to that previously observed in mice injected with crude extracts of this organism. Neither the soluble cytoplasmic components of Group A streptococcal cells nor the nonfragmented cell walls produced carditis in this experimental model. Fluorescein and (125)I-labeled antibodies sp...

211 Volume XI, no. 2 : May 2010 progressing from high-level AV block through second-degree to first-degree heart block before complete resolution.2 The AV node is most commonly involved, but any level of the conduction system can be affected. Clinical heart failure is observed in approximately 10% of patients, and dilated cardiomyopathy can be a long-term consequence of untreated Lyme carditis....

1Queen Alia Heart Institute, Paediatric Cardiology Division, Amman, Jordan. 2Department of Paediatrics, King Hussein Medical Centre, Amman, Jordan. Received: 30/06/02; accepted: 17/02/03 ABSTRACT Rheumatic fever remains a significant health problem in Jordan. We retrospectively reviewed medical charts of 28 boys and 22 girls (mean age at presentation 10.5 ± 2.6 years) with confirmed diagnosis b...

Eighty-nine children with rheumatic fever between 1964 and 1978 were reviewed. There were 40 males and 49 females. The first attack occurred mostly between 6 and 12 years. Arthritis was present in 62.9%; carditis, 55.1%; chorea, 19.1%. Children were followed from 20 months to 15 years (mean 61 months). Seventeen developed current attacks (19.1%). On final examination, 40 had no heart disease, 3...