Abstract
Among cell wall proteins of the group A streptococcus a nontype-specific (NTS) antigen, common with the interstitial connective tissue (ICT) antigen of the mammalian myocardium, has been found. It has been shown that the cross-reacting antigen (CRA) in sections through human heart tissue is located in ICT cells morphologically similar to fibroblasts [4, 7]. A solution to the problem of whether cells containing CRA are in fact fibroblasts is of great importance to our understanding of the role of the CRA found in the streptococcus in the development of autoimmune responses (AIR) to connective tissue of the heart in rheumatic fever. It is also important to determine whether CRA is present or not in the connectivetissue stroma of lymphoid organs and, in particular, in the stroma of the thymus. According to one hypothesis, streptococcal antigens common with thymus antigens can induce the development of AIR to thymus antigens and, as a result of this, an autoimmune thymitis, a "triggering mechanism" of the autoimmune process in rheumatic fever [5].
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