ANTISTREPTOLYSIN-O AND ANTIDEOXYRIBONUCLEASE-B TITERS IN BLOOD-DONORSAND IN PATIENTS WITH FEATURES OF NONSUPPURATIVE SEQUELAE OF GROUP-A STREPTOCOCCUS INFECTION IN TANZANIA

Antistreptolysin O (ASO) and antideoxyribonuclease B (ADN B) titres we re determined on sera from blood donors in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania and from Bergen, Norway and were compared with titres in patients with fe atures of postgroup A streptococcal diseases in Dar es Salaam. The upp er limit of normal ASO titres in Dar es Salaam was 200 mu/ml and for A DN B it was 300 u/ml while in Bergen the upper limit of normal ASO tit re was 250 u/ml and that of ADN B was 100 u/ml. Titres of ASO in Dar e s Salaam and Bergen were consistent with those from sub-Saharan Africa and from other continents. Upper limit of normal ADN B titres in adul ts in Dar es Salaam were higher than those in Bergen probably due to h igher frequencies of group A streptococcal skin infections in Dar es S alaam than in Bergen. patients with features of postgroup A streptococ cal diseases in Dar es Salaam had antibody titres above the upper limi ts of normal in 32.8% of the patients for ASO and in 45.9% for ADN B. ASO and ADN B titres or ASO and any other reliable test for antibody t o group A streptococcus should be utilised together in providing stron g evidence of recent infection with the group A streptococcus or of po stgroup A streptococcal disease.