Medical Treatment for Rheumatic Heart Disease: A Narrative Review

Inflammatory Response Genes' Polymorphism Associated with Risk of Rheumatic Heart Disease

Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) caused by group A streptococcus infection is one of the most important reasons of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in low- and middle-income countries. Aberrant host immune response modulated by polymorphisms in inflammatory response genes plays an important role in RHD pathogenesis. This study aimed to determine risk-associated polymorphic variants in inflammatory response genes in Caucasian RHD patients. A total of 251 Caucasian RHD patients and 300 healthy donors were recruited for this study, and 27 polymorphic sites in 12 genes (TLR1, TLR2, TLR4, TLR6, IL1B, IL6R, IL6, IL10, IL12RB1, IL12B, TNF and CRP) were analyzed using allele-specific PCR. It was demonstrated that the polymorphic variants rs1800871 and rs1800872 in the IL10 gene, rs 1130864, rs3093077 and rs1205 in the CRP gene, rs375947 in the IL12RB1 gene, rs 5743551 and rs5743611 in the TLR1 gene, and rs3775073 in the TLR6 gene can modify RHD risk in a gender- and age-dependent manner. The obtained results can be used to determine the personalized risk of RHD in healthy donors during medical examination or screening, as well as to develop appropriate early prevention strategies targeting RHD in the risk groups.

COVID-19 Unveiling Heart Failure in the Realm of Rheumatic Heart Disease

The global coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has resulted in various clinical manifestations, including cardiovascular complications. This case report focuses on a unique instance where COVID-19 infection exacerbated heart failure and induced atrial fibrillation in a previously asymptomatic young male with undiagnosed rheumatic heart disease (RHD). RHD, a prevalent cause of valvular abnormalities in developing countries, poses an additional risk for severe outcomes when coexisting with COVID-19 infection, highlighting the need for prompt and tailored interventions.