The Comparative Effects of Continuous and Intermittent Penicillin Therapy on the Formation of Antistreptolysin in Hemolytic Streptococcal Pharyngitis 1

Abstract

In the Spring of 1947 an epidemic of streptococcal pharyngitis and scarlet fever attacked a large permanent army post 5 numbering about eight thousand troops. A carrier survey just prior to this outbreak had disclosed a high rate (17 per cent) of carriers of beta hemolytic streptococci. Study of these organisms and those isolated from patients during the epidemic revealed that all were of Lancefield Group A. Seven-eighths of those isolated from carriers, and all streptococci isolated from patients, were either type 23 or 19. Infections caused by type 23 predominated and constituted about 70 per cent of all cases.During a 60-day period, 184 patients received a preliminary diagnosis of streptococcal pharyngitis or scarlet fever and were placed in a special study group at the time of their admission to the post station hospital.The objectives of this study were: (1) to evaluate and delineate the natural history of streptococcal pharyngitis in the young male, (2) to assess the value of three treatment schedules (detailed below), and (3)

The influence of the site of infection on the immune response to group A streptococci

“…A modifying influence of antibiotic therapy on the antibody response to streptococcal infection has been reported in some studies (20,21). In order to examine the possible effects of antibiotics on the antibody responses of children in this analysis, the medical records of all children were reviewed with respect to the kind of treatment administered.'…”

Burden of Acute Sore Throat and Group A Streptococcal Pharyngitis in School-aged Children and Their Families in Australia

“…13 Moreover, most children received antibiotics before the culture results, which is known to reduce the magnitude of the antibody response to GAS extracellular antigens. [28][29][30] Our combined definition ensured that the gold standard, rising antibody titers, was used in all cases in which this could reasonably be assessed (ie, those with first samples taken within 7 days of symptom onset) and that a sensitive but less specific definition, based on populationspecific ULN values (which were higher than have previously been used in this population), was used for cases in which the first specimen was delayed. Although this may have resulted in a slight overestimation of the incidence of true GAS pharyngitis, the alternative, rejecting these "likely" cases, would have resulted in a dramatic underestimation.…”

A Comparative Study of Antihy Aluronidase, Antistreptolysin “O,” Antistreptokinase, and Streptococcal Agglutination Titers in Patients With Rheumatic Fever, Acute Hemolytic Streptococcal Infections, Rheumatoid Arthritis and Non-Rheumatoid Forms of Arthritis 1

“…It has been reported that early and effective penicillin therapy (16,45) or occasionally sulfonamide therapy (46) will suppress or entirely inhibit the antibody response to streptolysin or streptokinase. The absence of any significant difference between the penicillin and sulfonamide treated patients in the streptococcal infections and the "non-treated" group with streptococcal infections in relation to streptococcal antibodies is possibly related to the relatively small doses of drugs administered and the comparatively short periods of administration, this method of therapy being Although the number of patients observed is small and there is some overlapping of the frequency distribution graphs of the four antibodies, a general pattern for the four antibodies studied has been outlined in Table I for the patients with rheumatic fever, active, rheumatoid arthritis, and non-rheumatoid forms of arthritis.…”