Why the study?
Is dilated cardiomyopathy a chronic viral disease, a post-infectious autoimmune process, or a genetically determined organ-specific autoimmune disease?
Is dilated cardiomyopathy a chronic viral disease, a post-infectious autoimmune process, or a genetically determined organ-specific autoimmune disease?
This review explores the pathogenic hypotheses of dilated cardiomyopathy, specifically the roles of persistent viral infection and autoimmunity.
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Management of dilated cardiomyopathy remains empiric; review leaves open viral persistence versus autoimmunity as drivers.
Persistent viral infection of the myocardium and autoimmunity are two of the main pathogenic hypotheses for dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). A unifying hypothesis also suggests that an initial viral insult may trigger or precipitate autoimmunity. Is it becoming clearer whether DCM is a chronic viral disease, a post-infectious autoimmune process, or genetically determined organ-specific auto- immune disease?
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Alida L.P. Caforio (1994) studied this question.
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