Recent data indicate that cardiac antibodies play an active role in the pathogenesis of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), and may contribute to cardiac dysfunction of DCM patients. Previous studies have suggested that immunoadsorption with subsequent IgG substitution (IA/IgG) improves left ventricular function in DCM. The potential influence of this immunomodulatory therapy on cardiopulmonary exercise remains to be elucidated. 60 patients with DCM (
n
= 60, NYHA II-IV, left ventricular ejection fraction ≤ 45%) underwent either IA/IgG (
n
= 30), or were followed up without IA (
n
= 30). IA/IgG was performed in one course of five consecutive days. After three months we compared echocardiographic assessment of left ventricular function and spiroergometric exercise parameters in both groups. Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) improved significantly in the IA/IgG group from 33.0 ± 1.2% to 40.1 ± 1.5% (p < 0.001 vs. control, p < 0.001 vs. baseline). In the control group, spiroergometric exercise parameters did not change during follow-up. In contrast, patients receiving IA/IgG improved significantly in the following parameters: peak oxygen uptake (peak VO
2
; 17.3 ± 0.9 ml/min/kg to 21.8 ± 1.0 ml/min/kg; p < 0.01 vs. control, p < 0.01 vs. baseline), oxygen pulse (10.7 ± 0.7 ml/bpm to 13.6 ± 0.7 ml/bpm; p < 0.05 vs. control, p < 0.01 vs. baseline), and anaerobic threshold (VO
2
AT; 10.3 ± 0.5 ml/min/kg to 13.2 ± 0.5 ml/min/kg; p < 0.001 vs. control, p < 0.001 vs. baseline). The ventilatory response to exercise (V
E
/VCO
2
slope) decreased after IA/IgG therapy from 32.3 ± 1.5 to 28.7 ± 0.9 (p = 0.18 vs. controls, p = 0.02 vs. baseline), whereas there was no significant change in the control group after 3 months. IA/IgG therapy in DCM patients may induce improvement in echocardiographic and cardiopulmonary exercise parameters.
Relationship between right and left ventricular function in candidates for implantable cardioverter defibrillator with low left ventricular ejection fraction
