[Relationship between the detection of circulating antibodies to antigen with a molecular weight of 67 kD and the severity of clinical manifestations of infectious-allergic myocarditis].

Infectious allergic myocarditis (IAM) is frequently complicated by signs of congestive heart failure (CHF). IAM patients generally suffer from rhythm and conduction disturbances which can be the leading symptom of the disease in some patients. Slowly progressive immune inflammation in the myocardium makes the differential diagnosis difficult in IAM and dilated cardiomyopathy in which endomyocardial biopsy and cardiospecific immunological examinations of the patient are of great significance. Identification of the autoimmune process in the myocardium and early immunodepressive therapy may arrest the progression of myocardial damage. The purpose of the present study was to examine the relationship between antigen antibodies and clinical manifestations of myocardial damage in IAM.