Document 0919
 DOCN  M9440919
 TI    Serum-soluble CD4 as clinical and immunological marker in patients with
       dilated cardiomyopathy.
 DT    9404
 AU    Klappacher G; Mehrabi M; Plesch K; Mundigler G; Pec M; Kramer G; Pacher
       R; Ullrich R; Kukutschki W; Imhof M; et al; Department of Clinical
       Pharmacology, University of Vienna,; Austria.
 SO    Immunol Lett. 1993 Oct;38(2):103-9. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE
       MED/94124173
 AB    Serological markers of cell-mediated immunity, i.e., soluble CD4,
       soluble interleukin-2 (Il-2) receptor and beta 2-microglobulin, were
       determined in 60 patients with dilated cardiomyopathy. Compared with
       normal healthy donors (n = 30) and controls who had coronary artery
       disease with preserved left ventricular function (n = 20), significantly
       increased levels associated with the New York Heart Association
       functional classes have been found in the cardiomyopathy patients,
       irrespectively of the etiology. Out of the immunological variables
       tested, serum-soluble CD4 most closely reflected the clinical and
       hemodynamic stage, predicted the presence of lymphocytic aggregates in
       the myocardium and correlated with the CD4/CD8 ratios of endomyocardial
       lymphocytes (r = 0.6, P < 0.05). Conversely, focal mononuclear
       infiltration of the myocardium was associated with significantly
       elevated CD4/CD8 ratios (2.1 +/- 0.6 vs. 1.3 +/- 0.2, P < 0.05), higher
       total numbers and percentages of endomyocardial lymphocytes expressing
       the pan T-markers CD2 and CD3, more CD45RO/UCHL1-positive cells and more
       CD4-positive T-helper cells, compared with non-reactive cases the
       lymphocytes of which were scattered throughout the myocardium. In
       conclusion, in a subset of cardiomyopathy patients lymphocytic clusters
       in the myocardium indicated an enhanced cellular immune response
       predominantly mediated by CD4-positive T-helper lymphocytes with active
       memory function. This immunopathological condition in the heart can be
       monitored by serum-soluble CD4.
 DE    beta 2-Microglobulin/ANALYSIS  Antigens, CD4/BLOOD  Antigens, CD8/BLOOD
       Cardiomyopathy, Congestive/*IMMUNOLOGY/PATHOLOGY  CD4-CD8 Ratio  Female
       Human  Male  Middle Age  Myocardium/PATHOLOGY  Predictive Value of Tests
       Receptors, Interleukin-2/ANALYSIS  Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
       T-Lymphocytes/*IMMUNOLOGY  JOURNAL ARTICLE

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