December 30, 1997

      Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center have found immune globulin may help adults with acute cardiomyopathy who are waiting for a heart transplant. An autoimmune response triggered by a viral infection is thought to be the cause in about half of the patients suffering with dilated cardiomyopathy. An autoimmune response occurs when the immune system over responds and one own tissue is attacked. In this case, the heart is the target. Cardiomyopathy is one of the leading reasons for the need of a heart transplant in persons under forty years of age. The study showed that immune globulin therapy, which has been used in several other autoimmune diseases, may help cardiomyopathy patients avoid a heart transplant. It is thought that high dose immune globulin therapy may reset the immune system.

      In the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center study, ten acutely ill patients were treated with intravenous immune globulin (IVIG) for up to six days. Most of these patients were candidates for a heart transplant. Nine of the ten patients who completed the treatment showed improvement and were able to leave the hospital. One patient died before completing the treatment. In a one-year follow-up the researchers found that the patients heart strength had improved 17 points when an expected improvement rate for such patients is about eight points. None of the patients needed to be hospitalized for heart failure, and most are now past two years since their initial treatment and continue to do well. Six medical centers throughout the United States are now participating in a larger study to see whether this study findings hold up with larger numbers of patients involved. The larger study will compare patients receiving IVIG to patients receiving a placebo.