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Updated: Jul 30, 2026

Measurement of Antibody Effects on Cellular Function of Isolated Cardiomyocytes
Published on: March 8, 2013
Impaired myocyte function in vitro incubated with sera from patients with myocarditis
1Philipps University, Department of Internal Medicine, Cardiology, Marburg, Germany.
Abstract:
Sera positive for antimyolemmal antibodies (AMLAs) from patients with acute biopsy-proven myocarditis exerted a cytotoxic effect on cardiocytes stimulated in vitro. Using an edge-detecting system, contraction amplitude and contraction velocity were altered after the addition of AMLA-positive sera when compared to sera from healthy controls. Antibodies alone did not change the functional parameters. Only the presence of complement and heart-reactive antibodies mediated the detrimental effects. This suggests that a complement-mediated antibody-dependent immune mechanism is operative in human myocarditis.
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