Elevated Serum Neopterin Levels in Acute Rheumatic Fever

A link between acute rheumatic fever (ARF) and autoimmune disorders has been postulated. To investigate this relationship. we performed radioimmunoassay measurements of serum neoplerin levels in patients with ARF. Twenty-five young men with ARF were included in our study. Patients were investigated on 3-7 days after the onset of symptoms and on the 30th-35th days after onset. Serum neopterin levels were elevated (>8.7 nmol/L) in 17 out of 25 patients with ARF. Mean neopterin concentration was significantly higher in ARF patients (10.9± 3.9 nmol/L) compared to healthy controls (5.2± 2.1 nmol/L; p