title: [Serum autoantibodies against the cardiac beta(1)-adrenergic receptor in patients with chronic heart failure: clinical characteristics and response to carvedilol].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To detect the serum autoantibodies against the cardiac beta(1)-adrenergic receptor and observe the clinical characteristics and response to carvedilol use in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF).
  
  
  METHODS
  Cardiac function was examined by echocardiography and levels of autoantibodies against cardiac beta(1)-adrenergic receptor were detected in 65 patients with CHF by means of enzyme linked immune assay. Carvedilol was added on ACEI, diuretics and digitalis regimen for a target dose of 50 mg/d. All patients were followed up for 6 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Autoantibodies against cardiac beta(1)-adrenergic receptor were detected in 30 patients (group 1) and not detected in the remaining 35 patients (group 2). The achieved target dose of carvedilol was significantly higher in group 1 than that in group 2 [(36.25 +/- 14.31) mg/d vs. (25.97 +/- 8.83) mg/d, P < 0.01]. Heart rate was significantly higher in group 1 compared to group 2 [(94.19 +/- 14.46) beats/min vs. (86.56 +/- 15.88) beats/min, P < 0.05] before treatment and heart rate and blood pressure of both groups decreased significantly (P < 0.01) and there was no significant difference between two group (P > 0.05) after 6 months treatment. LVEDD and LVESD were significantly larger while LVEF significantly lower in group 1 patients than those in group 2 patients (all P < 0.05) before treatment and LVEDD and LVESD decreased and LVEF increased significantly in both groups (all P < 0.01 vs. before treatment) and there was on significant difference in LVEDD, LVESD and LVEF between two groups (all P > 0.05) post 6 months treatment. Moreover, average titer of autoantibodies against the cardiac beta(1)-adrenergic receptors significantly decreased after 6 months treatment (1:119.35 vs. 1:72.21, P < 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The detection of autoantibodies against the cardiac beta(1)-adrenergic receptors is related to severer cardiac dysfunction and autoantibodies title decrease was found with improved cardiac function after standard therapy (ACEI, digitalis, betablocker) in patients with CHF.
authors.affiliation: Heart Centre, Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, Capital University of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100020, China.
authors.forename: Jin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Xin-chun
authors.initials: XC
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Shu-yan
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jian-guo
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Xiu-lan
authors.initials: XL
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Ya-feng
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood*; D002227:Carbazoles / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000077261:Carvedilol; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011412:Propanolamines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018342:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta-1 / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists; D001323:Autoantibodies; D002227:Carbazoles; D011412:Propanolamines; D018342:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta-1; D000077261:Carvedilol