Cardiac Autoantibodies in Viral Myocarditis

Abstract

Most clinical cases of myocarditis in humans are suspected to be of viral etiology. Despite the strong association between virus infection and myocarditis, clinical and experimental data support immune and autoimmune mechanisms as playing major roles in the pathogenesis of myocarditis and dilated cardiomyopathy. Autoantibodies against contractile structures, extracellular matrix proteins, proteins involved in energy metabolism, calcium homeostasis, cell signaling, and antistress proteins have been detected; this article describes the autoantibodies that have been most comprehensively analyzed in this disorder.