Antibody Production and Tuberculin Sensitivity in Individuals with a History of Rheumatic Fever

The precipitating antibody response to type I pneumococcal polysaccharide was not significantly different in a group of 19 individuals with rheumatic heart disease or a history of rheumatic fever, and a group of 22 individuals without rheumatic heart disease or a history of rheumatic fever. The sensitivity to old tuberculin following BCG immunization was not significantly different in 12 rheumatic individuals, and 20 non-rheumatic subjects. Detectable opsonins were demonstrated consistently in sera containing more than 0.5 mg of pneumococcal antibody per 4 ml of serum. Below this level opsonization was erratic.