title: Serological evidence for the association of Bartonella henselae infection with arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) is an important cause of sudden death in young adults. On the basis of histopathological findings its pathogenesis may involve both a genetic origin and an inflammatory process. Bartonella henselae may cause endomyocarditis and was detected in myocardium from a young male who succumbed to sudden cardiac death.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We hypothesized that chronic infection with Bartonella henselae could contribute to the pathogenesis of ARVC.
  
  
  METHODS
  We investigated sera from 49 patients with ARVC for IgG antibodies to Bartonella henselae. In this study, 58 Swiss blood donors tested by the same method served as controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Six patients with ARVC (12%) had positive (>1:256) IgG titres in the immunofluorescence test with Bartonella henselae. In contrast, only 1 elevated titre was found in 58 controls (p < or = 0.05). Interestingly, all patients with increased titres had no familial occurrence of ARVC.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Further studies in larger patient cohorts seem justified to investigate a possible causal link between chronic Bartonella henselae and ARVC, in particular its sporadic (nonfamilial) form.
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Cardiology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: H Fischer
authors.forename: Bernd
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: van der Loo
authors.forename: Gertrud
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: M Shär
authors.forename: Reinhard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zbinden
authors.forename: Firat
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Duru
authors.forename: Corinna
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Brunckhorst
authors.forename: Valentin
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Rousson
authors.forename: Etienne
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Delacrétaz Y
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Stuber
authors.forename: Erwin N
authors.initials: EN
authors.lastname: Oechslin
authors.forename: Ferenc
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Follath
authors.forename: Rolf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jenni
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016917:Angiomatosis, Bacillary / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology; D000888:Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic / Q000276:immunology; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology*; D019571:Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Dysplasia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D018416:Bartonella henselae / Q000276:immunology*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004452:Echocardiography; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000276:immunology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D015646:Ventriculography, First-Pass
chemical_list: D000888:Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D007074:Immunoglobulin G