Abstract
Streptococcus pyogenes infection continues to be a worldwide public health problem causing various diseases in humans, including impetigo and oropharyngeal infections that are responsible for the development of rheumatic fever (RF), a multi-organ inflammatory disorder, Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) is its major sequel that leads to heart valves lesions, clinically classified as regurgitation and/or stenosis.
In the present work, we briefly describe the major events that lead to autoimmune reactions causing severe heart lesions in children and young individuals who are genetically susceptible to RF and RHD. We also present a summary of a vaccine development against S. pyogenes that would be a great advance in prevent the disease.
Keywords
S. pyogenes, Immune responses, Genes, Soluble mediators, Valve-lesions, Rheumatic fever, Rheumatic heart disease, Impetigo, Experimental model