ANTICARDIOLIPIN ANTIBODIES IN RI-IEUMATIC I-IEART DISEASE

Abstract

Rheumatic heart disease (RHO) is a residual cardiac damage resulting from an episode of RF. It is the most common and serious cardiac disorder in children and young adults limiting their efficiency and crippling them at an age where they are expected to be most contributing and productive to their community.

The major complication of acute rheumatic fever is appearance of carditis and subsequent development of chronic valvular heart disease.

Antiphospholipid antibodies (APA) are heterogenous group of

autoantibodies with thrombotic events, lupus anticoagulants method of detection.

clinical importance because of their association with both venous and arterial. They are classified as and anticardiolipin antibodies (ACA},based on the

The prevalence of anticardiolipin antibodies (ACA) in patients with valvular abnormalities was concerned.

The aim of this work is to find out the incidence and significance of lgG and lgM anticardiolipin antibodes (ACA) in patients with rheumatic valvular heart disease, and to study if the presence or absence of a confirmed history of rheumatic fever (RF) had affected the level of lgG and lgM in order to determine whether these antibodies play a role in the pathogenesis of rheumatic valvular heart disease.