concanavalin-a and Cardiomyopathy--Dilated

Effect of synthetic analogues of atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) on proliferative response and natural cytotoxic lymphocytes of human subjects was investigated in vitro. ANF-III and ANF-IV increased blast transformation lymphocytes induced by a Con-A suboptimal dose. The increase of cells activity was comparable with the effect of interleukin-2, added at a dose of 50-100 unit/ml.

Topics: Atrial Natriuretic Factor; Blood Donors; Cardiomyopathy, Dilated; Cells, Cultured; Concanavalin A; Cytotoxicity Tests, Immunologic; Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; Humans; Interleukin-2; Lymphocyte Activation

Suppressor T lymphocyte function was examined in 11 patients with idiopathic congestive cardiomyopathy and in 11 age and sex matched patients with a similar degree of heart failure resulting from ischaemic heart disease. Suppressor T lymphocyte function was also assessed in a control population of 11 normal subjects. Suppressor T lymphocyte function was reduced in both groups of patients with heart failure but not significantly, and a wide range of suppression was demonstrated in all groups. These data do not support the hypothesis that there is a defect in T lymphocyte function in patients with congestive cardiomyopathy, but they do suggest that there may be a non-specific reduction in T lymphocyte suppressor function associated with heart failure in general.

Topics: Adult; Cardiomyopathy, Dilated; Concanavalin A; Coronary Disease; Dose-Response Relationship, Immunologic; Humans; Middle Aged; T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory

Immunogenetic mechanism may be involved in the pathogenesis of idiopathic cardiomyopathy. Viral myocarditis is considered a cause of dilated cardiomyopathy. In this study, we examined the major histocompatibility complexes (human leukocyte antigens: HLA) by microdroplet cytotoxicity test, lymphocyte subsets by laser flow cytometry, and the activity of lymphocyte blastoformation induced by phytohemagglutinin (PHA) and concanavalin A (Con A) in patients with cardiomyopathies (DCM) and myocarditis (MC). We also examined the incidence and histopathology of encephalomyocarditis (EMC) virus myocarditis in inbred strains of mice, and serial changes of T- and B-lymphocytes in the peripheral blood of DBA/2 mice inoculated with EMC virus by immunofluorescence techniques. The results were as follows: Major histocompatibility complex (HLA and H-2); HLA-B12 in patients with DCM and HLA-DR8 in patients with MC were more frequent than in controls. In EMC virus infection, differences were found in the frequency of occurrence of MC in inbred strains of A/J (H-2a), C57BL/6 (H-2b), BALB/c (H-2d), DBA/2 (H-2d) and C3H/He (H-2k) mice. Genetic mechanism may play a role heart similar to lesions in patients with DCM were seen in DBA/2 mice in the chronic stage of MC. in susceptibility to virus infection. Lymphocyte population study; OKT 8 (suppressor T-cell) was significantly lower in patients with DCM and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) than in controls. There were no significant changes of lymphocyte subsets in patients with MC as compared with the controls.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Topics: Animals; Cardiomyopathy, Dilated; Concanavalin A; Encephalomyocarditis virus; Enterovirus Infections; HLA Antigens; Humans; Lymphocyte Activation; Lymphocytes; Major Histocompatibility Complex; Mice; Myocarditis; Phytohemagglutinins; T-Lymphocytes