title: Immunopathogenesis of dilated cardiomyopathies.
abstract: Idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy is a chronic heart muscle disorder of unknown etiology, but experimental and clinical evidence is accumulating that points to an immune pathogenesis in a subset of patients, and to the potential importance of myosin as an antigen. Most recent developments include evidence of cardiac- and disease-specific autoantibodies in a proportion of patients with dilated cardiomyopathy and their relatives, and the identification of immunogenic epitopes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiological Sciences, St. George's Hospital Medical School, London, UK.
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Goldman
authors.forename: W J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: McKenna
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000032:analysis; D002311:Cardiomyopathy, Dilated / Q000209:etiology* / Q000276:immunology*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D009218:Myosins / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D009218:Myosins