Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0014118 (endocarditis)
 15,629 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Rheumatoid factors (RF) occur during the course of various infections such as leprosy, infective endocarditis, tuberculosis, trypanosomiasis, visceral larva migrans, infectious mononucleosis, influenza A, hepatitis A or cytomegalovirus. When first described it seemed logical to assume that host-self-immunization with autologous immune complexes provided the initial stimulus for RF production. Subsequently extensive characterization of bacterial, parasitic and viral Fc receptors has suggested an alternative explanation for rheumatoid factor associated with infections. It seems possible that patients make an initial immune response to infecting agent Fc receptors and that anti-anti-Fc receptors or anti-idiotypes either then directly stimulate rheumatoid factor production or are themselves rheumatoid factors. Such a hypothesis might also be applied to rheumatoid arthritis itself where either infecting agent or autologous cell Fc receptors could be the initial immunizing epitopes involved in rheumatoid factor production.
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PMID:Rheumatoid factors in subacute bacterial endocarditis and other infectious diseases. 307 Jul 27

Some particular features of the cardiomyopathies (CM) observed in the tropics, especially in Africa, are emphasized in this study. Chronic parietal endocarditis is excluded from the CM group. The author presents facts that justify the linking of that affection to endocardial diseases. Myocardiopathies are acute ailments presenting with congestive lesions, reversible under etiological therapy. Anemic and beri-beri myocardiopathies are not unusual in the tropics and present a hyperkinetic syndrome before the stage of advanced cardiac insufficiency. Infectious or parasitic myocarditis seem frequent in the tropics. The author recalls the characteristics of the myocarditis in the human african trypanosomiasis which he opposes, particularly, to the american trypanosomiasis. The reality of bilharzial myocarditis is more debatable while bilharzial pulmonary hypertension is well documented. Chronic congestive CM presents a few specific characteristics in the tropics. The features, well described in temperate regions, are found in the tropics with a particularly unfortunate prognosis. Some alcoholic myocardiopathies have been observed. The rare occurrence of hypertrophic CM in the tropics results, seemingly, from a lack of exploratory means. The author studies briefly a recent series of 31 cases in Abidjan. Post-partum myocardiopathy seems to be the clinical appearance of a latent myocardial insufficiency of the normal post-partum in women presenting with associated risks factors (anemia, malnutrition, overwork, excessive sodium intake, etc.). An early diagnosis enables a cure only by resting, but it is sometimes necessary to associate a medical treatment. Death by embolism or the passing to chronicity are however possible. Drepanocytic CM is debatable and in many cases, seems hardly differentiated from anemic myocardiopathy.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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PMID:[Cardiomyopathies in tropical areas]. 377 21