home   genetic news   bioinformatics   biotechnology   literature   journals   ethics   positions   events   sitemap
 
  HUM-MOLGEN -> Genetic News | search  
 

Myocarditis Triggered By Serum Proteins

 
  August, 7 2001 2:54
your information resource in human molecular genetics
 
     
Myocarditis, or inflammation of the heart muscle, is a principle cause of heart disease in young adults, who are thus prone to heart failure. Frequently, myocarditis is accompanied by the presence of autoantibodies specific for heart muscle. But the presence of these antibodies alone is not sufficient to cause disease; other serum proteins are also involved in the pathogenic disease process. In the August issue of Nature Immunology (Vol. 2, No. 8, pp. 739-745), researchers at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore report on the role played by a serum protein, complement component C3, in causing myocarditis.

Complement proteins are among those serum proteins that protect against bloodstream invaders, such as bacteria or parasites, and act in concert with circulating antibodies. Multiple complement proteins exist and bind to foreign surfaces in a precise order, where they can either lyse the offending pathogen directly or recruit phagocytic cells, by releasing bits of their proteins, such as C3a, to clear the microbes. The latter process is critical for the development of myocarditis. Rose and colleagues found depletion of C3 early in the course of disease development prevented onset and severity of the resulting disease. Moreover, blocking the receptors on leukocytes for the C3 cleavage products also resulted in diminished disease severity. Thus, therapies aimed at the complement system may prove beneficial in treating autoimmune myocarditis as well as other autoimmune diseases.

Noel R. Rose
Johns Hopkins University
School of Medicine
Department of Pathology
720 Rutland Avenue
Baltimore, MD 21205
UNITED STATES
Tel: (+1) 410-955-0330
Fax: (+1) 410-955-0105
nrrose@jhsph.edu

(C) Nature Immunology press release.


Message posted by: Trevor M. D'Souza

print this article mail this article
Latest News
Variants Associated with Pediatric Allergic Disorder

Mutations in PHF6 Found in T-Cell Leukemia

Genetic Risk Variant for Urinary Bladder Cancer

Antibody Has Therapeutic Effect on Mice with ALS

Regulating P53 Activity in Cancer Cells

Anti-RNA Therapy Counters Breast Cancer Spread

Mitochondrial DNA Diversity

The Power of RNA Sequencing

‘Pro-Ageing' Therapy for Cancer?

Niche Genetics Influence Leukaemia

Molecular Biology: Clinical Promise for RNA Interference

Chemoprevention Cocktail for Colon Cancer

more news ...

Generated by News Editor 2.0 by Kai Garlipp
WWW: Kai Garlipp, Frank S. Zollmann.
7.0 © 1995-2023 HUM-MOLGEN. All rights reserved. Liability, Copyright and Imprint.