title: [The relation of myocarditis to the development of cardiomyopathy].
abstract: Dilated cardiomyopathy is a degenerative disease of the myocardium of unknown etiology. Evidence was provided in experiments on mice that it may develop as a late consequence of viral myocarditis. In experiments on mice it was also found that the damaging factor in the pathogenesis of myocarditis may be a reaction of the immune system rather than an infective agent. Research into myocarditis and dilated cardiomyopathy in humans is faced with the difficulty of accurate assessment of the diagnosis; frequently there is no sharp borderline between the two conditions. The possible pathogenetic role of immune reactions is apparent from several publications--the finding of cytotoxic antibodies against myocyte structures, evidence of a reduced function of suppressor T-lymphocytes, impaired function of NK cells. The assembled findings do not provide so far an unequivocal picture of the disease and do not make causal therapy possible.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kováliková
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gvozdják
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002311:Cardiomyopathy, Dilated / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D009205:Myocarditis / Q000150:complications*; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000150:complications*
vernacular_title: Vztah myokarditídy k vývoju kardiomyopatie.