Cellular immunity in congestive cardiomyopathy. Hypersensitivity to cardiac antigens

The presence of type IV hypersensitivity to cardiac antigens in 26 patients with congestive cardiomyopathy was sought by two in vitro techniques. Neither test showed a significant group abnormality, but 10 patients did have hypersensitivity to heart antigen, in particular to congestive cardiomyopathic heart antigen. These patients were characterised by worse haemodynamic data and a more rapid and malignant course of the disease than in the rest of the group.