[Characteristics of immunoregulatory lymphocyte subpopulations in patients with congestive cardiomyopathy and nonrheumatic myocarditis studied by monoclonal antibodies].

Forty patients and 14 donors were examined. Twenty-two patients were diagnosed to have congestive cardiomyopathy (CCM), and 18 to have non-rheumatic myocarditis. The total number of T and B lymphocytes and lymphocyte subpopulations were measured by the method of surface markers (T mu and T gamma) and concurrently with the aid of monoclonal antibodies (OKT 3, OKT 4, OKT 8). The patients with CCM demonstrated a decrease in the number of T suppressors (T gamma and OKT 8). The quantity of T thermostable lymphocytes and T helpers remained unchanged in both the groups. Proceeding from this finding it is concluded that in CCM, the OKT 4/OKT 8 ratio is equal to 1.17, that in myocarditis to 1.15. The pathogenetic role of suppressor cells during myocarditis transformation in CCM requires further study.