Chorea in twenty Iraqi children

ABSTRACT

Twenty patients with first attack of chorea were studied clinically and immunological1y. Age of patients ranged between six to 14 years and incidence revealed a clear female over male preponderance which may suggest. hormonal or/and genetic factors in the pathogenesis of the disease, among the three antistreptococcal antibodies [antistreptolysin O, antistreptokinase, and anti- dnase B] which were tested. only anti-dnase B antibody was significantly elevated; an observation which makes this antibody as the only marker which proves that streptococcal infection had indeed occurred three to nine months ago. The high anti- dnase antibody level detected in some patients together with the significantly high serum IgG and IgM redused C3 level and the peculiar sex incidence may suggest etiologies other than rheuamtic fever in at least some cases of childhood chorea such as systemic lupus erythematosis