title: T cells in cardiac myosin-induced myocarditis.
abstract: Autoimmune myocarditis induced by immunization with cardiac myosin can be seen as a virus-free system to analyze the immunopathological mechanisms of certain forms of postinfectious heart disease. Immunodepletion studies have shown that in A.SW mice myosin-induced myocarditis is mediated by both CD4+ and CD8+ cells. The CD4+ subset is at least required for the induction of the autoimmune response, whereas the CD8+ subset seems to play a key role in mediating the myocardial injury. In addition, we found a bias concerning the TCR repertoire, because T cells within the inflammatory heart infiltrate almost exclusively use V beta 8 elements. Furthermore, recent serologic and immunohistologic studies indirectly suggest that the cardiac myocyte is not the target for the anti-myosin response. Rather, the primary target might consist in dendritic cells presenting myosin epitopes even under normal conditions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Medical School, University of Innsbruck, Austria.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Neu
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pummerer
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Rieker
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Berger
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000276:immunology*; D001324:Autoantigens / Q000276:immunology; D015329:Gene Rearrangement, T-Lymphocyte; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D009205:Myocarditis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D009206:Myocardium / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology; D009218:Myosins / Q000276:immunology*; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta / Q000235:genetics; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D001324:Autoantigens; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta; D009218:Myosins