[The etiology and pathogenesis of dilated cardiomyopathy]. / Ob étiologii i patogeneze dilatatsionnoi kardiomiopatii.

The authors analyze cardiomyopathies as primary lesions of the heart of unknown etiology. Examination of skin biopsies in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy indicates the presence of morphological signs of the systemic character of the process in the connective tissue, an increased content of circulating immune complexes in the blood of patients. In hypertrophic cardiomyopathy similar changes were found only in one patient. Dilated cardiomyopathy is a manifestation of a systemic immunopathological process in most of these patients.