Autoimmunity in dilated cardiomyopathy

Dilated eardiomyopathy as defined by the WHO/ISFC task force includes idiopathic dilated heart muscle diseases as well as secondary forms, such as postmyoearditic dilated heart muscle disease, genetically inherited or predisposed forms, and forms of metabolic/toxic etiology. In isehemic cardiomyopathy, impaired function results from the remodeling process in the presence of coronary artery disease when viable myocardium is still present [1]. In this article, the focus is on forms of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) when the etiology and pathogenesis point to an inflammatory origin of the dilated heart muscle disease. The term acute~active myocarditis is used according to the Dallas criteria, whereas chronic inflammatory heart muscle disease is assumed if diagnostic criteria in the definition of Maisch are present [2,3]. Figure 1 shows the diagnostic matrix of cardiomyopathies, including genetic, viral, inflammatory, and postinflammatory forms.