Acute Glomerulonephritis
AGN typically occurs 2 to 3 weeks after skin infection by certain group A streptococcal types in children (e.g., M protein type 49 causes AGN most frequently). AGN is more frequent after skin infections than after pharyngitis. The most striking clinical features are hypertension, edema of the face (especially periorbital edema) and ankles, and "smoky" urine (due to red cells in the urine). Most patients recover completely. Reinfection with streptococci rarely leads to recurrence of glomerulonephritis.
The disease is initiated by antigen–antibody complexes on the glomerular basement membrane, and soluble antigens from streptococcal membranes may be the inciting antigen. It can be prevented by early eradication of nephritogenic streptococci from skin colonization sites but not by administration of penicillin after the onset of symptoms.
Acute Rheumatic Fever
Approximately 2 weeks after a group A streptococcal infection—usually pharyngitis—rheumatic fever, characterized by fever, migratory polyarthritis, and carditis, may develop. The carditis damages myocardial and endocardial tissue, especially the mitral and aortic valves, resulting in vegetations on the valves. Uncontrollable, spasmodic movements of the limbs or face (chorea) may also occur. ASO titers and the erythrocyte sedimentation rate are elevated. Note that group A streptococcal skin infections do not cause rheumatic fever. Most cases of pharyngitis caused by group A streptococci occur in children aged 5 to 15 years and hence rheumatic fever occurs in that age group.
Rheumatic fever is due to an immunologic reaction between cross-reacting antibodies to certain streptococcal M proteins and antigens of joint, heart, and brain tissue. It is an autoimmune disease, greatly exacerbated by recurrence of streptococcal infections. If streptococcal infections are treated within 8 days of onset, rheumatic fever is usually prevented. After a heart-damaging attack of rheumatic fever, reinfection must be prevented by long-term prophylaxis. In the United States, fewer than 0.5% of group A streptococcal infections lead to rheumatic fever, but in developing tropical countries, the rate is higher than 5%.
