[Chronicity of the rheumatoid process].

The authors considered the problem of chronicity of a rheumatic process as a result of streptococcus persistence in the patient's body. Using a bacteriological method and luminescence microscopy streptococcal bacteremia was found in patients with rheumatic fever in the active phase in 12.5 and 31.2%, respectively. Four examinations of patients with 2-3 day intervals resulted in a 3-fold increase in the detection of streptococcal bacteremia reaching 88.9% in blood testing by the immunofluorescence method and 44.1% by the bacteriological method. In patients with rheumatic fever in the inactive phase streptococci were found in the mediastinal lymph nodes, left auricula atrii tissues, and in the myocardium. In the imprints of biopsies prepared from appropriate tissues, streptococcal L-forms and cells were detected in the immunofluorescence reaction.