[Diagnostic value of the heart-reactive autoantibodies for viral myocarditis in children].

The serum heart-reactive autoantibodies (HRAA) of 103 children with viral myocarditis (VMC) were detected on normal myocardial tissues of human embryo with the use of indirect immunofluorescence assay and were compared with the result of 55 children with other diseases (COD) and of 67 healthy children (HC). The results showed that the positive rate and the geometric mean titre (GMT) of HRAA in VMC group were obviously higher than that in the other groups (P < 0.01). If we took the HRAA upper limit (1:9.5) of 99% normal value range in HC group as the positive criterion, the diagnostic sensitivity of HRAA to child VMC would be 71.84%, the specificity of differential diagnosis of VMC from COD and HC would be 76.36% and 91.04% respectively. The coincidental rates of diagnosing VMC from COD and HC were 73.41% and 79.41%. Four patterns of immunofluoresent localization and shape could be distinguished as scatter, spot, membrane and cord. These indicate that HRAA is important in diagnosing child VMC.