[Immunology of cardiovascular diseases in children]

Cardiovascular diseases in children are most usually caused by the disturbances in the immune system. The disease very often occurs after infections with a secondary immune response to the cardiovascular system; lately there are more frequently secondary responses after surgical treatment on the heart. Passive transfer of maternal antibodies through the placenta results particularly in congenital complete heart block in newborns and infants. Rheumatic heart disease is the most usual manifestation of humoral and cell-mediated reactivity in patients. Due to cardiotoxicity of eosinophils, endomyocardial diseases with eosinophilia are developed. There is a problem of arteritis of the coronary arteries as part of some allergic diseases, especially of Kawasaki disease. Immunologically mediated diseases of the cardiovascular system in children need further studies.