Tohoku J. Exp. Med., 2003, 199 (3)

Nitric Oxide Metabolities in Acute Rheumatic Fever

FIGEN NARIN, NAZMI NARIN, HATICE PASAOGLU, CANAN HALICI¹ and DURAN ASLAN

Department of Biochemistry, and ¹Pediatrics, Erciyes University Medical Faculty, Kayseri, Turkey

Acute rheumatic fever (ARF), is a systemic inflammatory disease etiologically related to infection with group A b hemolytic streptococcus, characterized by a broad spectrum of disorders in cellular immunity. To estimate the activity of the immunopathological process in patients with ARF, plasma nitric oxide metabolities (NOx) concentrations, IL-1a and IL-2 levels were investigated in 22 patients with ARF at the time on admission, and after 3 months, in children with chronic rheumatic heart disease (CRHD). Plasma NOx concentrations, IL-1a and IL/2 levels in patients with ARF on admission were significantly higher than in the same patients 3 months later, and higher than in CRHD, or controls. Increased plasma NO may be a useful index for the quantitative assessment of the activity during immunological challange. This information may be useful for the prognosis and monitoring of ARF.

Keywords —— nitric oxide; interleukins; acute rheumatic fever

© 2003 Tohoku University Medical Press

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Tohoku J. Exp. Med., 2003, 199, 135-139

Address for reprints: Nazmi Narin, M.D., P.K. 272, 38002, Kayseri, Turkey.

e-mail: nnarin@erciyes.edu.tr