[The expression of dystrophin in human viral myocarditis and dilated cardiomyopathy].
OBJECTIVE
In order to improve the accuracy and reliability in sudden cardiac death, the pathogenesis and relationship between the viral myocarditis and dilated cardiomyopathy were investigated.


METHODS
Improved immunohistochemical technique was adopted to detect the expression of the dystrophin in myocardium from 25 viral myocarditis, 28 dilated cardiomyopathy and 17 control cases including normal, coronary atherosclerotic heart disease and hypertension heart disease as control.


RESULTS
The positive rate of dystrophin protein expression in control group was 100%, that in viral myocarditis was 88%, and that in dilated cardiomyopathy was 57%, There were significant differences among three groups (P<0.05), and the correlation between viral myocarditis and dilated cardiomyopathy group (r = -0.526)were also found.


CONCLUSIONS
The myocardial cytoskeletal protein is disrupted in viral myocarditis and dilated cardiomyopathy, and the dystrophin protein may be involved in the pathogenesis of viral myocarditis and dilated cardiomyopathy. The viral infect and impair heart functions by cleaving host dystrophin proteins may ultimately contributes to the viral myocarditis to the converting from dilated cardiomyopathy.
Xu
Hong-fei
HF
Department of Forensic Medicine, Wanna Medical College,Wuhu 241001,China. whhongfei@sina.com
Li
Yong-hong
YH
Chen
Yang
Y
Cheng
Li-bao
LB
D002311:Cardiomyopathy, Dilated / Q000209:etiology* / Q000378:metabolism; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016757:Death, Sudden, Cardiac; D016189:Dystrophin / Q000378:metabolism*; D004769:Enterovirus Infections / Q000150:complications; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D009205:Myocarditis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000821:virology; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D013194:Staining and Labeling
D016189:Dystrophin