Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is one of the leading causes of mortality; however, the underlying molecular mechanisms of DCM remain to be elucidated. H3K9 histone methyltransferase G9a has been previously characterized, although its functions in DCM are not yet understood. Cell adhesion molecules (CAM) are highly expressed in diseased human hearts and were thought to contribute to chronic degene...

Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), the most common form of primary myocardial disease, is an important cause of sudden cardiac death and heart failure and is the leading indication for heart transplantation in children and adults worldwide. Recent studies have revealed a strong genetic basis for idiopathic DCM, with many distinct genes causally implicated. Nevertheless, DCM is a genetically heteroge...

BACKGROUND Dystrophin gene mutations cause 2 common muscular dystrophies, Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and Becker muscular dystrophy (BMD). Both are frequently associated with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) and premature death. We hypothesized that early diagnosis and treatment of DCM in DMD/BMD patients would lead to ventricular remodeling and that specific dystrophin gene mutations would p...

OBJECTIVES To investigate whether disturbance of the cellular homoeostasis and integrity of cardiomyocytes in dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is accompanied by alterations in cell-matrix relations as indicated by changes in the deposition of fibronectin (FN) isoforms. DESIGN Tissue from a case series of patients with DCM was investigated by immunohistochemistry with antibodies against FN (all va...

Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a major cause of sudden cardiac death and heart failure, and it is characterized by genetic and clinical heterogeneity, even for some patients with a very poor clinical prognosis; in the majority of cases, DCM necessitates a heart transplant. Genetic mutations have long been considered to be associated with this disease. At present, mutations in over 50 genes rel...

BACKGROUND Although several loci for familial dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) have been mapped, the origin of a large percentage of DCM remains unclear. Mdm2, a p53-negative regulator, protects cardiomyocytes from ischemic and reperfusion-induced cell death. Mdm4, a homolog of Mdm2, inhibits p53 activity in numerous cell types. It is unknown whether Mdm4 plays a role in the inhibition of p53 in fu...

OBJECTIVE To assess the clinical importance of heart rate variability (HRV) in patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). PATIENTS AND METHODS Time domain analysis of 24 hour HRV was performed in 64 patients with DCM, 19 of their relatives with left ventricular enlargement (possible early DCM), and 33 healthy control subjects. RESULTS Measures of HRV were reduced in patients wit...

BACKGROUND Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is familial in about 20-35% of patients. The most frequently encountered mutations associated with DCM are found in LMNA. AIM To define the frequency of LMNA mutations in a series of consecutive DCM patients and to evaluate the phenotype of mutation carriers. METHODS We screened the 12 exons of LMNA in a series of 61 Polish patients with DCM diagnosed...

BACKGROUND Hundreds of genetic variants have been described as disease causing in dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). Some of these associations are now being questioned. We aimed to identify the prevalence of previously DCM associated variants in the Exome Aggregation Consortium (ExAC), in order to identify potentially false-positive DCM variants. METHODS Variants listed as DCM disease-causing var...

BACKGROUND Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a heart muscle disease that is endemic in Africa. Over the past 50 years, South African investigators have made significant contributions to scientific elucidation of the condition. The objective of this review was to summarise their research on the subject of DCM. METHODS AND RESULTS We searched PubMed for articles originating from South Africa and ...