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Measurement of Antibody Effects on Cellular Function of Isolated Cardiomyocytes
13:42

Measurement of Antibody Effects on Cellular Function of Isolated Cardiomyocytes

Published on: March 8, 2013

Removal of cardiodepressant antibodies in dilated cardiomyopathy by immunoadsorption

Stephan B Felix1, Alexander Staudt, Martin Landsberger

  • 1Klinik für Innere Medizin B, Universität Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany. felix@uni-greifswald.de

Journal of the American College of Cardiology
|February 19, 2002
PubMed

Insights

Immunoadsorption (IA) effectively removes cardiodepressant antibodies in dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) patients, leading to improved hemodynamics. This study confirms cardiac autoantibodies play a role in DCM, and their removal offers therapeutic potential.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Immunology
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Immunoadsorption (IA) improves hemodynamics in dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) patients.
  • The underlying mechanisms of IA's effectiveness in DCM require further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine if IA removes cardiodepressant antibodies from DCM patients' plasma.
  • To analyze the impact of these antibodies on isolated rat cardiomyocytes.

Main Methods:

  • Patients with DCM underwent IA using specific antibody columns.
  • Column eluent (CE) was tested on isolated rat cardiomyocytes for effects on Ca(2+) transients and cell shortening.
  • Immunoprecipitation characterized the cardiotropic antibodies.

Main Results:

  • IA significantly reduced IgG plasma levels and improved cardiac index (CI) in DCM patients.
  • CE from DCM patients, but not controls, dose-dependently reduced cardiomyocyte Ca(2+) transients and cell shortening.
  • Cardiodepressant substances in CE were identified as antibodies binding to myocardial proteins.

Conclusions:

  • Cardiac autoantibodies are functionally significant in DCM.
  • Removal of these autoantibodies via IA may contribute to early hemodynamic improvement in DCM.
Abstract

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