Distribution of antibodies to streptococcal esterases in patients with scarlet fever.

Repetitive counterelectrophoresis (RCE), which has been described (Hayano and Tanaka, 1977), was used to assay the contents of antibodies to streptococcal esterases (STE) in sera from patients with scarlet fever. The levels of antibodies to STE were expressed semiquantitatively by reading the intensity of the colored spot developed by RCE with a densitometer. The present study deals with the determination of anti-STE in sera drawn at intervals from 54 patients diagnosed as suffering from scarlet fever. The STE used in this study were prepared from the streptococcal strains as follows. STE-AI was prepared from SS379 (group A, type 40), STE-AII from strain 69882 (group A, type 49), STE-B from strain H36B (group B, lb), and STE-C from strain Austin (group C). Of the 54 cases studied, 32 (59.3%) showed anti-STE-AI, 24 (44.4%) showed anti-STE-AII, 5 (9.3%) showed anti-STE-B, and 23 (42.6%) showed anti-STE-C. Comparison of the titer of anti-streptolysin O (ASLO) with the type of specific reaction of anti-STE-AI and -AII, determined in the same specimen, showed a marked correlation. Of 20 cases giving ASLO titers of 12 or less, 18 showed no sign of anti-STE-AI and -AII and two showed signs of anti-STE-AI. Of 34 cases giving ASLO titers of more than 12, 33 showed signs of anti-STE-AI and/or -AII, 22 showed signs of anti-STE-AI and -AII, 7 showed signs of anti-STE-AI, and 4 showed signs of anti-STE-AII. Of all the cases, 26 showed coincident rises in titers of ASLO and levels of anti-STE-AI and/or -AII during the course of the disease. One case showed the presence of only anti-STE-B. All of the 23 cases that showed the presence of anti-STE-C showed signs of anti-STE-AI. Some of these cases showed a marked increase in levels of anti-STE-C during the course of the disease.