RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE DEGREE OF INJURY AT OPERATION AND THE CHANGEIN ANTIMYOSIN ANTIBODY TITER IN THE POSTPERICARDIOTOMY-SYNDROME

Successive measurements of cardiac myosin light chain I (MLC), creatin e kinase isoenzyme MB (CKMB), and the titer of antimyosin antibody (AM A) were performed prospectively in 19 patients following open heart su rgery. Seven of these patients showed the postpericardiotomy syndrome (PPS). No differences in serum concentrations of MLC or CKMB were obse rved between the patients with and without PPS, and all patients in bo th groups had abnormal MLC values after surgery. However, only patient s with PPS had significantly elevated AMA titers. The maximum AMA tite r was significantly correlated with the severity of the effusion. Thes e data suggest that PPS is unrelated to the severity of myocardial inj ury during operation. Furthermore, the AMA titer may be useful as one of the indicators for determining the patient's clinical condition.