title: Suppressor T lymphocyte function in patients with idiopathic congestive cardiomyopathy.
abstract: Suppressor T lymphocyte function was examined in 11 patients with idiopathic congestive cardiomyopathy and in 11 age and sex matched patients with a similar degree of heart failure resulting from ischaemic heart disease. Suppressor T lymphocyte function was also assessed in a control population of 11 normal subjects. Suppressor T lymphocyte function was reduced in both groups of patients with heart failure but not significantly, and a wide range of suppression was demonstrated in all groups. These data do not support the hypothesis that there is a defect in T lymphocyte function in patients with congestive cardiomyopathy, but they do suggest that there may be a non-specific reduction in T lymphocyte suppressor function associated with heart failure in general.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002311:Cardiomyopathy, Dilated / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology*; D003208:Concanavalin A / Q000494:pharmacology; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000276:immunology; D004306:Dose-Response Relationship, Immunologic; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D003208:Concanavalin A