Sitzungsberichte der
Heidelberger Akademie der Wissenschaften

40

Molecular and Cell Biology of Autoantibodies and Autoimmunity

Table 1. Desmin antibodies in patient sera

Diagnosis
Anti-Desmin
IgG
IgM
Total
Myopericarditis
3/18 (17%)
4/18 (22%)
7/18 (39%)
Myocardial infarction
0/10
0/10
0/10
Acute infection
0/24
1/24 (4%)
1/24 (4%)

All anti-desmin-positive patients with myopericarditis had also anti-heart an-
tibodies by indirect immunofluorescence. Serial samples were available from two
anti-desmin-positive patients with myopericarditis. In both cases the level on anti-
desmin decreased upon recovery.
The role of cytoskeleton as a target for autoantibodies is well known (Kurki
and Virtanen, 1984). Autoantibodies to the cytoskeleton of heart cells have
been reported previously in patients with pericarditis (Maisch et al., 1982;
Nicholson et al., 1977). Our results show that muscle-specific autoantibodies
are associated with acute (infectious) myopericarditis. In addition, the use of a
purified antigen in a quantitative assay seems to offer better diagnostic specificity
and an opportunity to follow up an immunoglobulin class-specific autoantibody
response.

References
Kurki, P., Virtanen, I. (1984): The detection of human antibodies against cytoskeletal
components. J. Immunol. Methods. 76, 329
Lazarides, E. (1982): Intermediate filaments: A chemically heterogenous developmental-
ly regulated class of proteins. Annu. Rev. Biochem. 51, 219
Maisch, B., Maisch, S., Kochsiek, K. (1982): Immune reactions in tuberculous and
chronic constrictive pericarditis. Am. J. Cardiol. 50, 1007
Nicholson, G., Dawkins, R., McDonald, R., Wetherall, J. (1977): A classification
of heart antibodies: Differentiation between heart-specific and heterophile antibodies.
Clin. Immunol. Immunopathol. 7, 349
Woodroff, J. (1980): Viral myocarditis. A review. Am. J. Pathol. 101, 427