Does the presence of antiheart antibodies correlate with the development of postpericardiotomy syndrome after intrapericardial surgery?
The demonstration of antiheart antibodies in high titer correlates closely with postpericardiotomy syndrome, providing a potential laboratory method for its confirmation.
In a prospective, double-blind study, heart-reactive antibody in high titer was detected, using an indirect immunofluorescent technique, in the serum of patients in whom the postpericardiotomy syndrome developed after intrapericardial surgery. The syndrome occurred in 26 of 86 consecutive longterm survivors of such surgery, an incidence of 30%. Presence of antibody correlated closely with the clinical syndrome. Demonstration of this antiheart antibody in high titer appears to offer laboratory confirmation of the syndrome.
Engle et al. (Fri,) studied this question.