High frequency of IgM antibodies to coxsackie B virus in sarcoidosis patients and patients with asbestos-related lesions.
By using radioimmunoassay (RIA) for detection of IgM antibodies to Coxsackie B viruses (CBV), the occurrence of these antibodies was investigated in patients with sarcoidosis and asbestos-related lesions. Sixty-one per cent of the patients with sarcoidosis, all patients with benign asbestos pleural effusion, and 67% of those with diffuse asbestos-related pleural thickening showed CBV-IgM. Patients with healed sarcoidosis or pleural plaques were all negative, and among the "healthy" controls seven per cent had CBV-IgM. Thus, there was a high frequency of CBV-IgM in patients with sarcoidosis and in those with asbestos-related diseases. Since the titres could be the effect of an unspecific polyclonal stimulation of the B cells, sera were tested for antibodies to rubella and cytomegalovirus, but without any remarkable results.
Department of Lung Medicine, University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden.
G
G
Hillerdal
G
G
Frisk
O
O
Nettelbladt
H
H
Diderholm
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D001195:Asbestosis / Q000382:microbiology*; D029822:Enterovirus B, Human / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000032:analysis*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012507:Sarcoidosis / Q000382:microbiology*
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D007075:Immunoglobulin M