Fulminant Giant Cell Myocarditis vs. Lymphocytic Myocarditis: A Comparison of Their Clinical Characteristics, Treatments, and Outcomes

Cytoplasm Hydrogelation-Mediated Cardiomyocyte Sponge Alleviated Coxsackievirus B3 Infection

Viral myocarditis (VMC), commonly caused by coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3) infection, lacks specific treatments and leads to serious heart conditions. Current treatments, such as IFNα and ribavirin, show limited effectiveness. Herein, rather than inhibiting virus replication, this study introduces a novel cardiomyocyte sponge, intracellular gelated cardiomyocytes (GCs), to trap and neutralize CVB3 via a receptor-ligand interaction, such as CAR and CD55. By maintaining cellular morphology, GCs serve as sponges for CVB3, inhibiting infection. In vitro results revealed that GCs could inhibit CVB3 infection on HeLa cells. In vivo, GCs exhibited a strong immune escape ability and effectively inhibited CVB3-induced viral myocarditis with a high safety profile. The most significant implication of this study is to develop a universal antivirus infection strategy via intracellular gelation of the host cell, which can be employed not only for treating defined pathogenic viruses but also for a rapid response to infection outbreaks caused by mutable and unknown viruses.

Update on Myocarditis: From Etiology and Clinical Picture to Modern Diagnostics and Methods of Treatment

Although the frequency of myocarditis in the general population is very difficult to accurately determine due to the large number of asymptomatic cases, the incidence of this disease is increasing significantly due to better defined criteria for diagnosis and the development of modern diagnostic methods. The multitude of different etiological factors, the diversity of the clinical picture, and the variability of the diagnostic findings make this disease often demanding both for the selection of the diagnostic modality and for the proper therapeutic approach. The previously known most common viral etiology of this disease is today overshadowed by new findings based on immune-mediated processes, associated with diseases that in their natural course can lead to myocardial involvement, as well as the iatrogenic cause of myocarditis, which is due to use of immune checkpoint inhibitors in the treatment of cancer patients. Suspecting that a patient with polymorphic and non-specific clinical signs and symptoms, such as changes in ECG and echocardiography readings, has myocarditis is the starting point in the diagnostic algorithm. Cardio magnetic resonance imaging is non-invasive and is the gold standard for diagnosis and clinical follow-up of these patients. Endomyocardial biopsy as an invasive method is the diagnostic choice in life-threatening cases with suspicion of fulminant myocarditis where the diagnosis has not yet established or there is no adequate response to the applied therapeutic regimen. The treatment of myocarditis is increasingly demanding and includes conservative methods of treating heart failure, immunomodulatory and immunospressive therapy, methods of mechanical circulatory support, and heart transplantation. The goal of developing new diagnostic and therapeutic methods is to reduce mortality from this complex disease, which is still high.

Soluble suppression of tumorigenicity 2 associated with fulminant myocarditis in children: A retrospective observational study

Fulminant myocarditis (FM) is associated with high mortality, and studies on soluble suppression of tumorigenicity 2 (sST2) and myocarditis are still scarce. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between sST2 and FM in children with myocarditis. This was a single-center retrospective clinical observational study. We continuously included patients diagnosed as suspected viral myocarditis from December 2019 to December 2022. A total of 203 patients younger than 11 years old were enrolled in this study, 22 of whom were diagnosed with FM. The level of sST2 was positively correlated with N-terminal B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) (R = 0.5588, P < .0001). After including multiple factors, creatinine (odd ratio [OR] 0.911; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.842-0.986; P = .021), NT-proBNP (OR 1.000; 95% CI, 1.000-1.000; P = .01), left ventricular ejection fraction (OR 1.306; 95% CI, 1.153-1.478; P < .001) and sST2 (OR 0.982; 95% CI, 0.965-0.999; P = .038) were still risk factors for FM. The area under curve values were 0.852 for the NT-proBNP, 0.817 for the creatinine, 0.914 for the left ventricular ejection fraction, and 0.865 for the sST2, which showed good sensitivity and specificity for FM. Elevated level of sST2 was associated with fulminant myocarditis. sST2 might be used as a potential biomarker for the diagnosis of fulminant myocarditis.

Immunomodulatory Therapy for Giant Cell Myocarditis: A Narrative Review

Giant cell myocarditis (GCM) is a rare, often rapidly progressive, and potentially fatal disease because of myocardium inflammation due to the infiltration of giant cells triggered by infectious as well as non-infectious etiologies. Several studies have reported that GCM can occur in patients of all ages but is more commonly found in adults. It is relatively more common among African American and Hispanic patients than in the White population. Early diagnosis and treatment are critical. Electrocardiogram (EKG), complete blood count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein, and cardiac biomarkers such as troponin and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), echocardiogram, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), myocardial biopsy, and myocardial gene profiling are useful diagnostic tools. Current research has identified several potential biomarkers for GCM, including myocarditis-associated immune cells, cytokines, and other chemicals. The standard of care for GCM includes aggressive immunosuppressive therapy with corticosteroids and immunomodulatory agents like rituximab, cyclosporine, and infliximab, which have shown promising results in GCM by balancing the immune system and preventing the attack on healthy tissues, resulting in the reduction of inflammation, promotion of healing, and decreasing the necessity for cardiac transplantation. Without immunosuppression, the chance of mortality or cardiac surgery was 100%. Multiple studies have revealed that a treatment combination of corticosteroids and immunomodulatory agents is superior to corticosteroids alone. Combination therapy significantly increased transplant-free survival (TFS) and decreased the likelihood of heart transplantation, hence improving overall survival. It is important to balance the benefits of immunosuppression with its potentially adverse effects. In conclusion, immunomodulatory therapy adds significant long-term survival benefits to GCM.

Biomarkers for Myocarditis and Inflammatory Cardiomyopathy

Purpose of Review

Myocarditis is a disease caused by inflammation of the heart that can progress to dilated cardiomyopathy, heart failure, and eventually death in many patients. Several etiologies are implicated in the development of myocarditis including autoimmune, drug-induced, infectious, and others. All causes lead to inflammation which causes damage to the myocardium followed by remodeling and fibrosis. This review aims to summarize recent findings in biomarkers for myocarditis and highlight the most promising candidates.

Recent Findings

Current methods of diagnosing myocarditis, including imaging and endomyocardial biopsy, are invasive, expensive, and often not done early enough to affect progression. Research is being done to find biomarkers of myocarditis that are cost-effective, accurate, and prognostically informative. These biomarkers would allow for earlier screening for myocarditis, as well as earlier treatment, and a better understanding of the disease course for specific patients.

Summary

Early diagnosis of myocarditis with biomarkers may allow for prompt treatment to improve outcomes in patients.