Immune cytotoxic mechanism of myocardial lesion in non-specific myocarditis and idiopathic congestive cardiomyopathy.

The immune cytotoxic mechanism of myocardial lesion was studied in 15 patients with non-specific myocarditis (NM) and in 10 patients with idiopathic congestive cardiomyopathy (ICC). In addition, 10 control patients having ischaemic heart disease (IHD) with congestive heart failure (CHF) and a control group of blood donors were examined. The following parameters were examined: anti-heart antibodies (by indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay), lymphocyte sensibilization (by leucocyte migration inhibition test; the antigen used was cardiomyocyte membrane protein), and killer cells (K-cells) activity in the course of antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity. Anti-heart antibodies were found in 73% of patients with NM, 50% patients with ICC and 33% patients with CHF. Lymphocyte sensibilization to the myocardium was found in 87% of patients with NM, and in more than half of the patients with ICC. Cardiospecific cytotoxic immune reaction was reproduced in vitro in 9 patients with NM and in 4 patients with ICC. It is assumed that an analogical mechanism of myocardial lesion functions in vivo.