Gene Expression of Inflammatory Marker in Myocardial Biopsy May Predict Progressive Heart Disease

Abstract

Background: Some studies suggested that analysis of gene expression in myocardial biopsy promised to improve the differential diagnosis of heart failure. On the other hand, higher serum inflammatory markers are known to predict worse prognosis in heart failure without infectious complication. Objective: We examined whether gene expression of inflammatory markers in myocardial biopsy predicted one subgroup of patients with progressive heart disease, indicative of ongoing immune activation. Method: We examined gene expression of inflammatory markersleukocyte markers, inflammatory cytokine and chemokineby quantitative RT-PCR in heart samples from patients admitted to our hospital due to heart failurecardiac biopsy, 55; autopsy, 5. Result: Gene expression of several inflammatory markers was detectable from a small piece of cardiac biopsy. Expression levels of inflammatory markers in samples of myocarditis were higher than those of non-myocarditis. But expression levels of inflammatory markers in some samples of non-myocarditis, progressive heart diseases like fabry disease and mitochondrial cardiomyopathy, were the same as those of myocarditis. Conclusion: High expression of leukocyte marker, inflammatory cytokines and chemokine may predict progressive heart disease, abeit infiltrating immunocompetent cells are not detected histopathologically.