Demonstration of organ specific antibodies against heart mitochondria (anti-M7) in sera from patients with some forms of heart diseases

Clin Exp Immunol. 1984 Nov;58(2):283-92.

Abstract

Using submitochondrial particles (SMP) from beef heart, pig kidney and rat liver in the ELISA, we detected partial organ specific anti-mitochondrial antibodies (AMA) against heart and kidney SMP in sera from patients with different forms of cardiomyopathies. Serum samples from 50 of 159 patients with congestive or hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (31%) and from two of 15 patients with acute myocarditis (13%) were AMA positive. These AMA could be clearly differentiated from other known AMA (anti-M1-M6) and were therefore named anti-M7. Thirteen of the 52 sera (25%) reacted only with heart SMP (type a) and 39 showed a cross-reaction with kidney, lung and pancreas mitochondria (type b). However, using liver SMP, no positive reaction was found. The anti-M7 type a and b activity was abolished completely by absorption with heart SMP. The anti-M7 antibodies were directed against an antigen which co-purified with the inner mitochondrial membrane and had a molecular weight of 67,000-72,000. They seem to be confined to some forms of cardiomyopathies and myocarditis of unknown aetiology and were not detected in sera from patients with other diseases.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antibody Specificity
  • Autoantibodies / analysis*
  • Cardiomegaly / immunology
  • Cattle
  • Cross Reactions
  • Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
  • Heart Diseases / immunology*
  • Humans
  • Kidney / immunology
  • Mitochondria, Heart / immunology*
  • Mitochondria, Liver / immunology
  • Myocarditis / immunology
  • Organ Specificity
  • Rats
  • Swine

Substances

  • Autoantibodies