title: [Molecular mechanisms and consequences of cardiac viral infections].
abstract: Molecular biological methods have confirmed the pathogenetic role of enteroviruses, primarily coxsackieviruses of group B (CVB), in the induction and maintenance of inflammatory cardiomyopathy. More recently, adenoviruses, various herpes viruses, and increasingly parvovirus B19 (B19) have been identified as potential cardiotropic agents. While cardiac myocytes are target cells for enterovirus and adenovirus infections with virus-induced cytolysis, B19-associated inflammatory cardiomyopathy is characterized by infection of intracardiac endothelial cells of small arterioles and veins, which may be associated with endothelial dysfunction, impairment of myocardial microcirculation, penetration of inflammatory cells, and secondary myocyte necrosis. Recent observations showed that B19 is involved in intracellular calcium regulation by the viral phospholipase. B19-induced caspase activation can lead to proinflammatory/proapoptotic processes through dysregulation of STAT signaling. These cellular interactions may contribute to mechanisms by which B19 establishes persistent infection in endothelial cells and play a critical role in viral pathogenesis of inflammatory cardiomyopathy.
authors.affiliation: Abteilung Molekulare Pathologie, Universitätsklinikum Tübingen, Liebermeisterstrasse 8, 72076 Tübingen. reinhard.kandolf@med.uni-tuebingen.de
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kandolf
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bültmann
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Klingel
authors.forename: C-T
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Bock
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D009202:Cardiomyopathies / Q000473:pathology; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000473:pathology; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008833:Microcirculation / Q000502:physiology; D009205:Myocarditis / Q000473:pathology*; D032383:Myocytes, Cardiac / Q000473:pathology; D009336:Necrosis; D010322:Parvoviridae Infections / Q000473:pathology*; D016732:Parvovirus B19, Human / Q000472:pathogenicity; D050791:STAT Transcription Factors / Q000502:physiology; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology; D014774:Virulence; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D050791:STAT Transcription Factors; D020169:Caspases; D002118:Calcium