Immunological Investigation of the Cellular and Molecular Composition of Pericardial Fluid in Patients With Open Heart Surgery

Abstract

Although pericardial fluid (PF) is removed from the pericardial sac during open heart surgery, it is not routinely investigated. Composition of PF may reveal immunological processes that play a central role in the course of myocardial infarction, atherosclerosis, and calcific aortic stenosis. We investigated lymphocyte populations, markers of immune activation in PF, and blood samples of patients undergoing CABG operation, and then compared them to those who had aortic valve (AVR) surgery. We also detected natural anti-CS IgG/M autoantibody levels in plasma and PF of cardiac surgery patients and investigated their relationship with cardiovascular disease-associated bacterial pathogens using enzymelinked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and Luminex methods.