All issues > Volume 38(8); 1995

Original Article

J Korean Pediatr Soc. 1995;38(8):1061-1068. Published online August 15, 1995.

Upper Limit of Normal Value for Antistreptolysin O Titer of Healthy Children in Seoul

Sung Ho SH Cha¹, Yong Mook YM Choi¹, Sei Won SW Yang², Dong Hwan DH Lee³, Chong Guk CG Lee⁴, Chang Ho CH Hong⁵

¹The Health Committee of the Korean Pediatric Society, Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Kyunghee University, Seoul, Korea
²The Health Committee of the Korean Pediatric Society, Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Seoul National University University, Seoul, Korea
³The Health Committee of the Korean Pediatric Society, Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Soonchunhyang University, Seoul, Korea
⁴The Health Committee of the Korean Pediatric Society, Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Inje University, Seoul, Korea
⁵The Health Committee of the Korean Pediatric Society, Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea

Abstract

Purpose
: We have found somewhat high titer of antistreptolysin O (ASO) accidentally when we had delineated normal carrier rate of beta hemolytic streptococci in rural area of Kangwon Province in 1991(1). We would like to know upper limit of normal value of ASO and re-valuated results which might be changed with different geographic areas, age, and prevalent rate of streptococcal infection
Methods
: Total 1,274 healthy infants, children and adolescents from aged 0 to 17 were included for measuring of ASO titer from May to August in 1994. We quantitated titer using ASO Latex Kit(Denka seiken, Tokyo, Japan) and Hitachi 7150(Tokyo, Japan). Results : ASO titer at the first month of life decreased by age 2 and increased slowly from age 3, and then increased steadily by 9 to 11 years old, the highest titer at this time, and then slowly decreased after 11 years of age. The highest titer which exceeded y 20% of a population were 52 units in age 0 to 5,431 units in age 6 to 8, 572 units in age 9 to 11,368 units in age 12 to 14 and 263 units in age 15 to 17. Conclusion : We have been used the more than 250 units or 333 units of ASO which suggested previous streptococcal infections. But, our results of ASO titer were higher in both elementary school children and middle school boys and girls in Seoul rather than we had expected. We should further evaluate ASO titer in different geographic area, in different seaseon, and year by year.

Keywords :Antistreptolysin O (ASO) Normal value, Children