Antiheart antibody in idiopathic hypertrophic subaortic stenosis

Abstract

The prevalence of antiheart antibody using an indirect immunofluorescent technique with infant heart muscle as substrate was determined in iI patients with idiopathic hypertrophic subaortic stenosis. For comparison, sera from patients with congestive cardiomyopathy, coronary artery disease, congenital heart disease, chronic rheumatic heart disease, and normal subjects were studied. There was a significant increase in the prevalence of antiheart antibody in patients with idiopathic hypertrophic subaortic stenosis (82%) compared to the other groups. The degree of intensity of fluorescence of the patients' sera correlated with periods of increased symptomatology. Conversely, with improvement and a stable clinical course there was a qualitative reduction in reactivity of sera with heart tissue. The mechanisms for the development of anti heart antibody are unknown. It may result from one or more insults or injuries to heart tissue. Upper respiratory infections may be associated with onset and subsequent aggravation of cardiac symptoms in some patients with idiopathic subaortic stenosis.