Abstract OBJECTIVE: To study the exact changes of cellular immunity, humoral immunity, and autoimmunity in children with viral myocarditis in order to guide the immune therapy. METHODS: Using the flow cytometer the levels of CD23 and CD3/HLA-DR were detected in 52 children with viral myocarditis and 30 healthy children, and the levels of IgG, IgA and IgM were measured by the method of turbidimetry. RESULTS: In the acute and procrastinating stages of viral myocarditis, the levels of CD23 and IgG, IgA, IgM, CD3+/HLA-DR+ and CD3-/HLA-DR+ were significantly elevated compared with the control group (P<0.01). The elevation of CD23 was positively correlated with the elevation of IgG, IgA and IgM. There was no obvious difference in any of the immunogical indices measured between the acute and procrastinating stages of viral myocarditis. CONCLUSIONS: Cellular immunity and humoral immunity in the acute and procrastinating stages of viral myocarditis were in an enhancing state. It indicates that the cellular immunity and humoral immunity might be involved in the immune damage of children with viral myocarditis.
