Elevated serum myosin light chain I in influenza patients.
OBJECTIVE
Myocarditis has been described as a complication of influenza. Patients with influenza may have symptoms and abnormal laboratory data (including chest X-ray, electrocardiogram, etc.) suggestive of myocarditis, although few observations have been made regarding the prevalence of asymptomatic myocardial injury. We investigated whether influenza can produce myocardial injury without cardiac symptoms.


METHODS
During the epidemic of influenza A (H3N2) from 1998 to 1999 in Japan, we examined possible cardiac muscle damage associated with influenza in patients without apparent clinical myocardial injury by measuring serum myosin light chain concentrations.


METHODS
Ninety-six influenza-positive patients (46 males and 50 females, average age 43.4 years) without impaired renal function were studied.


RESULTS
Of these patients, 11 (11.4%) had elevated serum myosin light chain I concentrations.


CONCLUSIONS
Asymptomatic myocardial injury may be present in patients with influenza even when they have no symptoms suggestive of myocardial injury.
Kaji
M
M
Department of Neurology, Kurume University, Medical Center.
Kuno
H
H
Turu
T
T
Sato
Y
Y
Oizumi
K
K
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009980:Influenza A virus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009205:Myocarditis / Q000097:blood / Q000821:virology*; D018994:Myosin Light Chains / Q000097:blood*
D018994:Myosin Light Chains; C076659:myosin light chain I