# MECHANISMS OF STREPTOCOCCAL-HOST INTERACTIONS

> **NIH NIH R01** · ROCKEFELLER UNIVERSITY · 1988 · $163,367

## Abstract

Evidence has now accumulated demonstrating that a number of
streptococcal antigens share antigenic determinants with a
variety of host tissues.  Interest has centered around those cross
reactions which involve cardiac tissue and what role they may
play in the initiation and perpetuation of the disease, rheumatic
fever.  Some of these cross reactions are in the streptococcal cell
wall while others are antigens within the streptococcal membrane
moiety.  The finding that those individuals susceptible to
contracting rheumatic fever have a genetic marker present on
their B cells raises the interesting question whether these
individuals are genetically programmed to respond abnormally to
these cross reactive antigens and what role this B cell alloantigen
might play in the disease process.

It is the aim of this proposal to study these microbial host
interactions as follows:  1) Using monoclonal antibody (D8/17)
which identifies a B cell antigen in rheumatics, we will study the
frequency of this antigen in rheumatic fever patients and their
families as well as control and nephritic patients.  Special
attention will be paid to the relationship of this marker to other
markers of the MHC complex.  2) To define the molecular
structure of this antigen and to determine whether it is present in
other tissues.  3) To determine what role this B cell marker plays
in the immune response to streptococcal antigens in rheumatic
and non rheumatic individuals.  4) To further investigate the
nature of the antigen(s) in the immune complexes in ARF
patients.  5) Finally we will continue to isolate and characterize
those cardiac antigens which cross react with strepococcal
antigens.

Since rheumatic fever is one of the few rheumatic diseases in
which we know the inciting agent, further knowledge concerning
this microbial-host interaction has obvious implications for other
immunologically mediated rheumatic diseases in which an agent is
presumed but not proven.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 3127719
- **Project number:** 5R01AI018149-06
- **Recipient organization:** ROCKEFELLER UNIVERSITY
- **SAM.gov UEI:** LHGDNJMZ64Y1
- **Principal Investigator:** JOHN B ZABRISKIE
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 1988
- **Award amount:** $163,367
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1982-09-01 → 1991-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/3127719

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 3127719, MECHANISMS OF STREPTOCOCCAL-HOST INTERACTIONS (5R01AI018149-06). Retrieved via MORVS 2026-10-25 from https://api.morvs.ai/grant/nih/3127719. Licensed CC0.

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