Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “ENDOCARDITIS, INFECTIOUS”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 649 records · Page 36Linked to original sources
PubMed1983

[Significance of immunologic effector mechanisms in infectious endocarditis].

Whereas a number of investigations deals with extracardiac manifestations of immune reactions in infective endocarditis (e.g. circulating immune complexes), immunological effector mechanisms directed against the heart itself have not yet been analyzed. In 72 patients with infective endocarditis (41 patients with defined pathogen, 31 no pathogen isolated) humoral und cellular immunological effector mechanisms were investigated. Antibodies directed against the cytoskeleton of myocardial cells and against the endocardium were demonstrated in 60% to 100% depending on the infective pathogen and the clinical course. Whereas the antibodies were found in subacute and chronic courses regularly, they were found less frequently in acute lethal cases. Antibodies directed against connective tissue, endocardium and sarcolemma were indicative of, but not specific for the endocardial affection. Those antibodies which were directed against the inner parts of the sarcolemma, the myolemma, appear to be indicators of an additional myocardial affection, if they are cytolytic against vital cardiocytes in vitro. Circulating immune complexes are non-specific markers of an increased immunoreactivity. They were detected in 35 out of 41 patients with defined bacterial pathogen in the early phase of the disease. Both, their incidence and serum concentrations decreased significantly after antibiotic treatment. Cellular immune reactions directed against vital heart cells (e.g. cytotoxic reactions) can most likely be attributed to K- or NK-lymphocytes and were found in 48% of patients. Serum factors such as circulating immune complexes and/or antimyolemmal antibodies may enhance or block this cytotoxic reaction.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Characterization of the antigen in circulating immune complexes and application to the detection of streptococcal antigens in human infectious endocarditis].

Immune complexes from patients with subacute endocarditis were used to develop a methodology for characterization of the antigen involved in human circulating immune complexes. This model was chosen because it permits isolation of the causative agent of the streptococcal infection thought to contain the antigen present in the immune complex. A comparison was made between two methods for characterization of bacterial antigen bound to antibody. In the first, animals were immunized with purified immune complexes and the production of antistreptococcal antibodies was investigated. In the second method, a sandwich ELISA was developed, implying the double specificity of the immune complex (human immunoglobulin and streptococcal antigen). The latter method gave the best results, detecting antigen in the immune complexes of 8 out of 10 patients' sera. The application of this method to other immunopathological situations is discussed.

Animals↗