Key result
Myocardial CD68(+) macrophages adhered to injured myocytes inversely correlate with serum cTnT in DCM.
Why the study?
It is unsettled whether macrophage accumulation in biopsy specimens of dilated cardiomyopathy reflects the active or persistent phase of the disease.
Cross-Sectional (n=181)
Macrophages attached to injured cardiomyocytes in endomyocardial biopsies may act as a histological marker of chronic ongoing inflammation in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy.
May indicate macrophage adhesion as inflammation marker in DCM biopsies; leaves open prognostic value and therapeutic targeting.
Background Macrophage accumulation found in biopsy specimens of patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) has been thought to reflect chronic myocarditis. However, it is unsettled whether they are responsible for the active or persistent phase of the disease. Objective The aim of this study was to count the number of macrophages in relation to plasma concentrations of cardiac troponin T (cTnT). Methods We studied the biopsies of 181 patients with DCM by immunohistochemistry using anti-CD68(+) antibodies. The total number of CD68(+) and the number of CD68(+) cells attached to injured cardiomyocytes were counted and presented as the number of cells/mm 2 . Results Two expression patterns of CD68(+) macrophages were observed: those localized freely in the interstitial space only, and the cells attached to injured cardiomyocytes. As regards macrophages adhered to injured cardiomyocytes, 72 out of 181 (39.8%) patients presented these cells in the biopsy sections. Both the total number of CD68(+) macrophages and the number of CD68(+) cells directly adhered correlated negatively with cTnT in the serum of DCM patients (Spearman’s rho, r = −0.45, P < 0.001 and r = −0.31, P = 0.009, respectively). Conclusion Macrophages attached to injured cardiomyocytes may reflect chronic (ongoing) inflammation in the myocardium.
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Warmusz et al. (2025) conducted a cross-sectional in Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) with clinical suspicion of myocarditis (MCI) (n=181). Presence of CD68(+) macrophages adhered to injured cardiomyocytes was evaluated on Correlation of CD68(+) macrophages adhered to injured cardiomyocytes with serum cTnT (r = -0.31, p=0.009). The number of CD68(+) macrophages directly adhered to injured cardiomyocytes in biopsy samples correlated negatively with serum cTnT (r = -0.31, P = 0.009) in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy.
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