ANTIGENIC EPITOPE MAPPING OF THE M24 PROTEIN OF STREPTOCOCCUS-PYOGENES - IMPLICATIONS FOR SERODIAGNOSIS OF RHEUMATIC-FEVER

Rheumatic fever continues to be a significant problem in Australian Ab original communities and developing countries worldwide. Early diagnos is could facilitate the institution of penicillin prophylaxis resultin g in the prevention of recurrences of rheumatic fever, An overlapping biotinylated peptide bank of 82 peptides, based on the known sequence of Streptococcus pyogenes M24 protein, was used in a standard enzyme i mmunoassay. A total of 82 sera were tested from both aboriginal and no n-aboriginal subjects with clinically proven rheumatic fever, rheumati c heart disease and matched controls, Two peptides with significant se quence homology at the C-terminal end were found to be discriminatory between aboriginal cases and controls, It is proposed that these pepti des could be the basis of a serological test for rheumatic fever.