title: Immunologic evaluation in infective endocarditis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyze the immune response in peripheral blood of patients with infective endocarditis.
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied 10 patients with infective endocarditis, age range from 20 to 50 years-old, males and females, and 20 healthy subjects in the same age range. The diagnosis of the disease was based on the clinical picture, echocardiogram, and hemoculture based upon samples drawn and tested before the treatment started. The were no history of atopy or malnutrition, no autoimmune disease, and they were not using any immunosuppressant or antibiotic medication.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The patients with endocarditis had significantly higher T and B lymphocyte, CD4+ and CD8+ cell counts, IgM and IgG serum levels, and C4 component of the complement than the control group; no significant difference concerning serum IgA and neutrophil oxidative metabolism; a significant decrease in C3, chemotaxis, and monocyte phagocytosis;cryoglobulins were detected in 66.6% of patients and they were formed by IgG, IgM, IgA, C3, and C4.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The patients with infective endocarditis were immunocompetent in most sectors of immune response and, at a certain moment, an autoimmune component may be present.
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Santa Casa de Misericórdia de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: W C
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Forte
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Mario
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: da Costa
authors.forename: L S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Henriques
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Gonzales
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Franken
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D015551:Autoimmunity / Q000276:immunology; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004697:Endocarditis, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D005779:Immunodiffusion; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000097:blood; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M