Background. Immunization with cardiac myosin induces experimental autoimmune heart disease in genetically predisposed mice. These mice produce heart-specific autoantibodies, some of which are directed against the cardiac myosin isoform. Methods and Results. We have reported the presence of circulating heart-specific autoantibodies in 26% of patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) ...

This study was designed to determine the morphological correlate of chronic heart failure. Myocardial tissue from eight patients undergoing transplantation surgery because of end-stage dilated cardiomyopathy was investigated by electron microscopy and immunocytochemistry using monoclonal antibodies against elements of the cytoskeleton: desmin, tubulin, vinculin, and vimentin. The tissue showed ...

Dilated cardiomyopathy can be broadly defined as heart failure with an enlarged left ventricular chamber, but with no evidence of ischemic heart disease or myocardial infarction. Recent studies from patients and animal models show that dilated cardiomyopathy results in a decrease in myocardial content of adenosine-50-triphosphate (ATP) and phosphocreatine and a decrease in the capacity for mito...

Prevalence and Pathogenesis of Dilated Cardiomyopathy Cardiomyopathies are defined as myocardial disorders in which the heart is structurally and functionally abnormal. Morphologically defined subtypes include hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy, and left ventricular (LV) noncompaction cardiomyopathy, and each of these subtypes can be g...

OBJECTIVE This study was conducted to investigate the efficacy of pancreatic drainage for pain relief in advanced pancreatic cancer. METHOD Seventy-one patients with pancreatic carcinoma were divided into two groups: dilated and non-dilated pancreatic ducts. All patients underwent endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), endoscopic biliary stenting and pancreatic stenting. Visua...

BACKGROUND Cholestatic jaundice (CJ) in patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) poses diagnostic and therapeutic dilemmas. This is an evaluation of the role of ERCP in SCD. METHODS A total of 224 SCD patients with CJ had ERCP. The indications for ERCP were based on clinical and biochemical evidence of CJ and ultrasound findings. RESULTS The indications were: CJ only in79, CJ and dilated duc...

Background: Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is revealed with the left ventricular dilatation and systolic dysfunction. This study was performed to determine the level of Calcitonin Gene Related Peptide (CGRP) and Brain Natriuretic Peptide (BNP) in children with dilated cardiomyopathy and controls and comparison of these two biomarkers in patients. Materials and Methods: This case-control study was...