Study on virus etiology of dilated cardiomyopathy

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We examined myocardial tissues for the presence of enteroviral RNA in animal models with coxsackie B3 virus myocarditis and myocardial biopsies from 97 patients with myocarditis(MC), dilated cardiomyopathy(DCM) or other cardiac diseases using polymerase chain reaction(PCR) and in situ hybridization(ISH). In C3H/He mice the virus genome was detected up to the 28th day of inoculation, whereas in A/J mice up to the 56th day. Both strains of mice developed severe myocardial fibrosis after the acute MC and A/J mice had left inflammatory cell infiltrations at the 56th day. In hamsters inoculated with the virus, the viral genome detected up to the 180th day and some had developed DCM-like features. The virus genome was identified by ISH in myocardial cells and some interstitial cells in and around the myocarditic lesions. In human biopsies enteroviral genonme was detectedin 21% of all patients. In MC, DCM and other cardiac diseases the genome was detected in 23%, 18% and 22%, respectively. But the genome-positive biopsies did not always showing histologic findings of MC. Some results may support a link between enteroviral infection and DCM.