[Clinico-immunologic parallels of patients with circulatory insufficiency]

T cell and lymphocyte subpopulation counts measured by surface markers (T helpers and T suppressors), lymphocyte blast transformation with FHA, IgA, IgM and IgG levels and phagocytosis were evaluated in 45 patients with circulatory insufficiency (CI), including 30 with coronary heart disease (CHD) and 15 with dilatation cardiomyopathy (DCMP). Three patterns of immunologic response were identified: the first one (intact immunity) was found in normal subjects, coronary patients without CI and those with first-stage CI; the second pattern (immune dysfunction) was detected in coronary patients with CI, stage 2A and DCMP patients with CI, stage 2B; the third pattern (immune deficiency) was present in coronary and DCMP patients with CI, stage 2B-3. The extent of immunologic reactivity disturbance is shown to depend on the severity of CI. DCMP was associated with a deficiency of T suppressors that may be useful as an additional diagnostic sign of this condition.