Characterization of anti-heart antibodies in mice after infection with coxsackie B3 virus

Coxsackie virus B3 (CVB3) infection results in a marked inflammatory respon se and the production of autoantibodies to cardiac antigens, with cardiac m yosin heavy chain documented to be the most immunogenic antigen. The presen t study investigated the temporal appearance of anti-heart antibodies in mi ce after mock infection or infection with an attenuated variant of CVB3 or wildtype CVB3 by SDS-PAGE and Western blotting. Further characterization of the autoantigens was carried out using 2D electrophoresis followed by West ern blotting. Mice infected with wildtype CVB3 demonstrated high levels of IgG anti-heart antibodies, reacting predominantly with myosin heavy chain b ut also with numerous other myocardial proteins. Significant increases in a nti-myosin heavy chain, anti-actin, and anti-tropomyosin antibodies were se en in wildtype-infected mice as early as day 7 postinfection compared to th ose mice that were mock infected or infected with attenuated virus. Charact erization of other antigens revealed novel reactivities against myosin subf ragments, heat shock proteins, and desmin and its subfragments. (C) 1999 Ac ademic Press.