Surface marker studies on activated peripheral blood lymphocytes in idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy

Expression of interleukin 2 (IL-2) receptor on peripheral blood lymphocytes after stimulation with concanavalin A (Con A) or anti-T3 monoclonal antibody was analyzed in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in order to clarify the abnormalities of lymphocyte activation mechanism in DCM. The expression of IL-2 receptor after the stimulation with either Con A or anti-T3 monoclonal antibody was found to be reduced in the patients with DCM when the results were compared with those of controls. A significant correlation was noticed between the expression of IL-2 receptor after Con A stimulation and T4+/T8+ cell ratio, and between the expression of IL-2 receptor after anti-T3 monoclonal antibody stimulation and the left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP). The results suggest that there are abnormalities of lymphocyte activation in DCM and that the alteration may be associated with the cause or clinical conditions of DCM.