Significance of Immunological Studies in Peripheral Obliterating Vascular Diseases

Abstract

A statistically significant incidence of antibodies against antigen from normal arteries and blood vessels changed by an atherosclerotic process was found in patients in the acute phase of thromboangiitis obliterans. No such incidence was found in a control group of healthy blood donors and in patients with other diseases. These findings of antibodies can significantly help in the differential diagnosis of the acute phase of thromboangiitis obliterans. It is possible that estimations of antibodies may also be of some value in patients with atherosclerosis obliterans where especially the neutralization test could be important for differential diagnosis of atherosclerosis.