Immunologic evaluation of patients with ischemic heart disease. Genetic determination and relation to disease

Delayed skin hypersensitivity and serum immunoglobulins were studied in relation to the severity of ischemic heart disease in 18 male monozygotic and 13 male dizygotic twin pairs, aged 55-78 years. The twin pairs were selected from the Swedish Twin Registry. Low IgG was seen in patients with myocardial infarction and definitive angina pectoris. No correlation between skin anergy and the severity of ischemic heart disease was found. These findings may support the possibility that immunological mechanisms play a part in the pathogenesis of ischemic heart disease. Significant F-ratios for IgA and differential white cell count support a genetic determination of these variables.