Guide To The Risk Factors And Causes Of Sydenham's Chorea

Autoimmune Condition Connection

An individual who develops Sydenham's chorea may also have an autoimmune condition. Sydenham's chorea occurs when the immune system in an individual's body attacks the neurons that control their movement. Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and several other autoimmune disorders also occur when the immune system inappropriately and abnormally attacks healthy cells around the body. Most autoimmune disorders like SLE occur because of a genetic predisposition in combination with environmental factors that produce abnormalities in the immune system. An individual with an autoimmune condition who contracts an infection that has been caused by group A streptococcus bacteria is at a greater risk of developing rheumatic fever and Sydenham's chorea because they already have pre-existing abnormalities in their immune system. When the immune system responds in the same abnormal way to antigens on the neurons that are similar to those associated with the streptococcus bacteria, the patient will develop Sydenham's chorea.

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