Is there a rheumatic constitution?

Abstract

Summary 1. No characteristic hair color or eye color was found among patients with rheumatic fever. 2. Pallor of the skin occurred in52.4 per cent of patients with acute rheumatic fever but was not a prominent feature in inactive rheumatic subjects. 3. No evidence of racial susceptibilityto rheumatic fever was found in this study. 4. Most patients with rheumatic feverhave a well-proportioned body build with a paucity of both the asthenic and hypersthenic body types. 5. A definite hyperextensibility ofthe metacarpophalangeal joints was demonstrated in both active and inactive rheumatics as compared with controls. 6. Blood group distribution amongrheumatic subjects was not statistically different from that in the general population. 7. In a small group of rheumatic patients, there were 24 per cent who were nonsecretors of ABO substance in the saliva. This is slightly higher than the expected percentage in the general population. The possible relationship to the pathogenesis of rheumatic fever is discussed.