Coxsackie-B-virus-specific IgM responses in patients with cardiac and other diseases

An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test using polyvalent antigens and antisera was developed to detect Coxsackie-B-virus-specific IgM responses. The sera of 24 of 64 (37.5%) patients with acute pericarditis and 14 of 38 (36%) with acute myocarditis were positive for Coxsackie-B-virus-specific IgM. 4 of 30 (13.3%) patients with acute ischaemic heart disease and 2 of 28 (7.1%) patients with congestive cardiomyopathy were also positive. Coxsackie-B-virus-specific IgM was detected in the sera of 21 of 57 (36.8%) patients with Bornholm disease and 2 of 4 patients with acute-onset juvenile diabetes. Coxsackie-B-virus-specific IgM responses persisted for 6-8 weeks. Sera from patients with chronic valvular heart disease, Mycoplasma pneumoniae infections, and virus infections caused by viruses other than Coxsackie-B viruses were all negative. False-positive results did not occur when sera containing high titres of rheumatoid factor were tested.