title: Antigens of the major histocompatibility system in ischemic heart disease and idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a disease of unknown and probably multifactorial etiology, a change in immune mechanisms is presumably significant, with many abnormalities in humoral and cellular responses having been reported. The heart thus becomes the target organ for an initial episode of myocardial damage that triggers an autoimmune response.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to analyze the frequency of different human leukocyte antigens in patients with a diagnosis of well-advanced DCM and ischemic heart failure, comparing them with a control group of presumably healthy subjects.
  
  
  METHODS
  The group with dilated cardiomyopathy consisted of 50 patients (7 women and 43 men), aged from 14 to 64 years. The group with ischemic heart disease included 76 patients (4 women and 72 men), with ages ranging from 34 to 64. The control group, consisting of 1,337 presumably healthy subjects from the Spanish Mediterranean area, was recruited based on paternity studies.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with the control group, we found in DCM a greater incidence of B15 (20 vs. 6%) and DQ3 (83 vs. 50%) antigens. In ischemic heart disease we found a lower incidence of A1 (3 vs. 22%), B8 (5 vs. 12%), and DQ2 (16 vs. 50%) in comparison with the control group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In the Spanish Mediterranean area, the presence of antigens B-15 and DQ3 would be associated with advanced DCM. The absence of antigens A1, B8, and DQ2 would be associated with the occurrence of severe ischemic heart disease.
authors: Cardiology Department, La Fe University Hospital, Valencia, Spain.
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Osa
authors: L
authors: L
authors: Almenar
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Palencia
authors: N
authors: N
authors: Puig
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Chirivella
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Montoro
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D002311:Cardiomyopathy, Dilated / Q000276:immunology*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005260:Female; D006680:HLA Antigens / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology; D015234:HLA-A Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D015235:HLA-B Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006683:HLA-DQ Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000276:immunology*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D006680:HLA Antigens; D015234:HLA-A Antigens; D015235:HLA-B Antigens; D006683:HLA-DQ Antigens; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens