title: The German Transregional Collaborative Research Centre 'Inflammatory Cardiomyopathy--Molecular Pathogenesis and Therapy'. Methods and baseline results from a 3-centre clinical study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This report focuses on the design and methods of the 3-centre clinical study of the Transregional Collaborative Research Centre 'Inflammatory Cardiomyopathy--Molecular Pathogenesis and Therapy', which aims to establish a comprehensive research registry on the diagnostics, therapy and disease outcomes of patients with inflammatory cardiomyopathy (CMi). The study goals are to investigate specific disease sub-entities and to develop standardised strategies for diagnostics and treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  All consecutive patients with clinically suspected CMi, post-myocarditic cardiomyopathy and acute myocarditis are included in the research registry. Cardiopulmonary functional tests, clinical and patient data are obtained at baseline and subsequent readmission appointments and are linked to allow for prospective follow-up. Co-morbidities, quality of life, health- related behaviour and sociodemographic variables are ascertained using uniform self-administered questionnaires.
  By May 2008, 2,061 cases had been included in the research registry (1,300 data-sets completed). At registration, 335 patients were diagnosed with CMi. The mean age was 50 +/- 13 years and the mean ejection fraction was 39.9 +/- 15.8%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The broad range of the acquired molecular-biological, histological, immunohistological, clinical and patient data makes this the most comprehensive research registry on patients with CMi to date.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Community Medicine, Abteilung für Versorgungsepidemiologie und Community Health, Klinik für Innere Medizin B, Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-Universität, Ellernholzstrasse 1-2, Greifswald, Germany.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Angelow
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Weitmann
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schwedler
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Vogt
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Havemann
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Staudt
authors.forename: S B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Felix
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Stangl
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Klingel
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kandolf
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Kühl
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lassner
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: v Schlippenbach
authors.forename: H-P
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Schultheiss
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Hoffmann
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D006332:Cardiomegaly / Q000453:epidemiology; D009202:Cardiomyopathies / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D015897:Comorbidity; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D030342:Genetic Diseases, Inborn / Q000453:epidemiology; D005858:Germany; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D007239:Infections / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009205:Myocarditis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D011379:Prognosis; D011788:Quality of Life; D012042:Registries; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors