Does intravenous streptokinase therapy facilitate the formation of anti-heart antibodies in acute myocardial infarction?
Scolozzi R; Boccafogli A; Vicentini L; Masotti M; Baraldi A; Pradella A; Baggioni GF; Camerani A; Boniotti A Streptokinase (SK), a nonenzymatic protein produced by group C beta haemolytic streptococci, is a potent antigen. It is used worldwide as a thrombolytic agent in the treatment of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Specific antiheart antibodies (AHA) have been found with a significantly high incidence in patients with AMI, and after streptococcal infection as a result of stimulation by constituents of the group A streptococci antigenically cross-reactive with sarcolemmal portion of the muscle fiber of the heart. Since there may be partial antigenic identity of group C streptococcal membranes with membranes isolated from group A streptococci, we have designed a prospective study to evaluate the incidence of serum AHA (and of other organ-specific and non-organ-specific antibodies) in 36 patients with AMI, 14 of whom treated with SK. AHA, of IgG class, were of the sarcolemmal-subsar
