Autoimmunity as a Contributor to Cardiomyopathy
Cardiac-specific autoantibodies (anti-alpha- myosin autoantibodies) are more common in HIV-infected patients with dilated cardiomyopathy than in HIV-infected patients with healthy hearts.
Currie et al. reported that HIV-infected patients were more likely to have specific cardiac autoantibodies than were HIV-negative control subjects [29]. Those with echocardiographic evidence of left ventricular dysfunction were particularly likely to have cardiac autoantibodies, supporting the theory that cardiac autoimmunity plays a role in the pathogenesis of HIV-related heart disease and suggesting that cardiac autoantibodies could be used as markers of left ventricular dysfunction in HIV-positive patients with previously normal echocardiographic findings [29].In addition, monthly intravenous administration of immunoglobulin in HIV-infected pediatric patients minimizes left ventricular dysfunction, increases left ventricular wall thickness, and reduces peak left ventricular wall stress, suggesting that both impaired myocardial growth and left ventricular dysfunction may be immunologically mediated [30]. These effects may be the result of immunoglobulins inhibiting cardiac autoantibodies by competing for Fc receptors, or they could be the result of immunoglobulins dampening the secretion or effects of cytokines and cellular growth factors [30]. These findings suggest that immunomodulatory therapy might be helpful in adults and children with declining left ventricular function, although further study of this possible therapy is needed.
More on the topic Autoimmunity as a Contributor to Cardiomyopathy:
- Autoimmunity as a Contributor to Cardiomyopathy
- Relationship Between HIV-Associated Cardiomyopathy and Encephalopathy
- Cardiac Malignancy
- Dilated Cardiomyopathy
- Dilated Cardiomyopathy
- Barbaro Giuseppe, Boccara Franc (eds.). Cardiovascular Disease in AIDS. 2nd edition. — Springer,2009. — 169 p., 2009
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- HIV Infection, Opportunistic Infections, and Vascular Disease