Table 2.

Serological characterization of individuals (continued on next page)

Serological characterization of cardiomyopathy (CMP) patients, patients with ischaemic (coronary) heart disease, and healthy control individuals. The IgG reactivity of sera with nitrocellulose-blotted cardiac myosin is shown. ++, Strong reaction; +, positive reaction; +/−, weakly positive reaction; –, negative reaction. Total serum IgG levels (mg/dl) as well as IgG1–4 subclass responses to purified cardiac myosin (optical densities) are displayed. Dashes indicate antibody levels which were not elevated compared with the background levels determined for myosin-negative sera (healthy individuals nos 1–3). IgG and IgM responses to various virus preparations (CMV, cytomegalovirus; MEA, measles virus; MU, mumps virus; parvovirus; ENT, enterovirus) are depicted as: +, positive; +/−, weakly positive; or –, negative reaction. For certain individuals (healthy persons; patients with ischaemic heart disease) without Western blot-detectable IgG anti-cardiac myosin antibodies, IgG subclass responses and virus serology were not determined.