Immunopathologic studies in myocardial biopsies of patients with Chagas' disease and idiopathic cardiomyopathy
Higuchi, M.de.L.; Lopes, E.A.; Saldanha, L.B.; Barretto, A.C.; Stolf, N.A.; Bellotti, G.; Pileggi, F.
Revista do Instituto de Medicina Tropical de Sao Paulo 28(2): 87-90
1986
ISSN/ISBN: 0036-4665 PMID: 3541144 Document Number: 276378
Right ventricular endomyocardial biopsies were studied in 30 patients, 15 with myocardiopathy from chronic Chagas' disease and 15 with idiopathic congestive myocardiopathy; five other myocardial samples were taken at necropsies of patients with chronic Chagas' disease. The authors tried to establish by means of direct immunofluorescence techniques whether there were immunoglobulins G, A and M, fibrinogen and C3 complement deposition in the myocardium; only one of these 30 patients exhibited a positive reaction to IgG, it was a patient with idiopathic congestive myocardiopathy. All fragments from patients with Chagas' disease showed no response to any of the fluorescent conjugates. These findings do not support the idea that anti-myocardial antibodies have pathogenic importance in the evolution of dilated or chagasic myocardiopathies.