[Erythrophagocytosis: a new diagnostic marker of immunologic myocardial damage in ischemic heart disease].

Using data of epidemiological and clinical examination of women of reproductive and menopausal age we studied the processes of erythrophagocytosis (EF) in 46 women with ischemic heart disease (IHD) aged 20-59 years in comparison with a group of healthy individuals. We found that women with IHD had almost 10-fold increase of EF compared with healthy individuals. Therefore determination of EF could be used as laboratory test for detecting autoimmune component of IHD. We also found associations between identified immunological abnormalities and dyslipidemia, in particular elevation of low density lipoprotein cholesterol level which was more pronounced during menopause. EF can serve as an immunological marker of IHD in women.