title: Laboratory diagnosis of viral myocarditis. A review.
abstract: This review delineates the impact of molecular biology on the diagnosis and pathogenesis of coxsackie B viral myocarditis. The etiological role of the coxsackie B viruses in acute myocarditis is well established. A hallmark of most coxsackie B virus infections is extension cytopathology of the host cell. Recent evidence from studies of a nonlytic infection show that a coxsackie B virus can alter an infected cell which results from persistent infection. There are two other mechanisms for cardiac injury during coxsackie B virus infection. The first phase usually occurs during the first week after infection, and is probably a direct result of lytic infection to the myocytes and of the accompanying inflammatory response. The second phase of coxsackie B virus-induced myocarditis is accompanied by an autoimmune response to heart tissue, which occurs 2 weeks after infection. Genetic factors probably play a role, but their contribution has not yet been evaluated.
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology, Kurume University School of Medicine, Japan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shingu
mesh_terms: D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics; D002213:Capsid; D003384:Coxsackievirus Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics; D029822:Enterovirus B, Human / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005814:Genes, Viral; D006801:Humans; D015394:Molecular Structure; D009205:Myocarditis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics; D009206:Myocardium / Q000032:analysis; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D012367:RNA, Viral