Lymphocyte subsets in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy and perimyocarditis.

Lymphocyte subsets were analyzed in patients with DCM, arrhythmias following influenza symptoms and acute perimyocarditis, respectively by an automated laser flow cytometry system with the use of monoclonal antibodies. A lower percentage of OKT8+ cells and a high OKT4/OKT8 ratio were found in the DCM and arrhythmias groups. No phenotypic abnormalities in the lymphocyte subsets were found in patients with acute perimyocarditis who were favorably progressing in clinical features. The results suggest that an immunological disturbance thought to play a part of the pathogenesis of DCM or heart failure may cause the abnormality of lymphocyte subsets.