title: [Alcohol and idiopathic dilatated cardiomyopathy: a pathogenetic hypothesis].
abstract: In a group of 120 chronic alcoholics, we observed two cases of severe dilated cardiomyopathy, fatal within a year, similar to the so called "idiopathic" form, among cases of cardiovascular involvement related to alcohol abuse (63.5%) but susceptible of improvement following abstention. On the basis of their observation we believe that alcohol itself, as has already been demonstrated for certain viruses, in the presence of particular genetic factors can cause the onset of an immune reaction able to impart an autonomous course which cannot be checked even after abstention from alcohol.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Patologia Medica e Medicina Mediterranea, Università di Messina.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ricciardi
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ferlazzo
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Crisafi
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Restuccia
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Quattrocchi
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Chindemi
authors.forename: F P
authors.initials: FP
authors.lastname: D'Ambrosio
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tigano
mesh_terms: D000437:Alcoholism / Q000150:complications* / Q000235:genetics; D002311:Cardiomyopathy, Dilated / Q000209:etiology* / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013695:Temperance
vernacular_title: Alcool e cardiomiopatia dilatativa idiopatica: una ipotesi patogenetica.