Immunological role of antifood and antimyocardial antibodies in the pathogenesis, follow-up and prognosis of coronary heart disease

ABSTRACT

A study of serum antibodies against milk, egg and myocardial antigens was undertaken in 52 patients with myocardial infarction and 20 controls. In patients as in controls, anti-milk and anti-egg antibodies seemed to go hand in had with the amount of these foods consumed. Thus they could be found prior to the infraction and may or may not have played a role in its pathogenesis since there was no increase in frequency of such antibodies in patients who developed infraction than in controls. It was suggested, however, that high titres seemed useful in predicting prognosis, especially as regards death. Also confirmed the presence of antimyocardial antibodies in 44% of cases. Titres rose soon after the myocardial damage, fell during recovery and often disappeared on complete recovery. They were thus considered secondary to the infraction and not the predisposing cause, as well as being useful in follow-up to denote the extent of recovery. There was no difference between the frequency of antibody presence and the occurrence of complications