[Epstein-Barr virus infection and congestive cardiomyopathy (serologic and immunomorphologic aspects)]

In serums of patients with congestive cardiomyopathy (CCM), patients with ischemic heart disease (IHD) and those of healthy subjects, presence of antibodies to capsid and early antigens of Epstein-Barr's virus (EBV) and to various structural components of myocardium was determined in order to study seroepidemiologic relations between the infection and CCM as well as immunopathogenic reactions against myocardium in this disease. Seroepidemiologic relation between EBV and CCM consisted in significant (compared to healthy subjects and patients with IHD) increase in average geometrical titres of antibodies to virus-associated antigens. Half of the patients with CCM had active EBV infection proved by presence of antibodies to early EBV antigen. Antibodies to various structural components of myocardium were found, including those to myocardial nervous fibers (for the first time) in 1/3 of the patients. Etiological role of active EBV infection in development of lymphomas during the post heart transplantation period in CCM as well as in myocardial nervous fibers damage in this disease is also discussed.