ANTIBODIES TO LYME-DISEASE AGENT IN PATIENTS WITH MYOCARDITIS AND DILATED CARDIOMYOPATHY

The paper presents the information on the involvement of the cardiovas cular system in the patients with Lyme's disease as well as the result s of serological investigation in patients with myocarditis and dilata tion cardiomyopathy for the presence of antibodies to the causative ag ent of Lyme'e disease with the aid of enzyme immunoassay. Out of 71 se ra 3 specimens had the values of optical density higher than the upper normal limits. Based on the investigation conducted and the analysis of the clinical picture, the authors suspected a Borrelia origin of th ese cardiac involvements. However, to verify the diagnosis morphologic al examination of endomyocardiac biopsy specimens was found to be mand atory.