Abstract
Eosinophilic myocarditis is caused by activation of eosinophilic granulocytes whereby there is a release of eosinophilic granules. Quite a few of the released compounds, especially eosinophilic cationic proteins, have a tissue-damaging effect also in the myocardium. Eosinophilia may be due to hypersensitivity, parasitic infection etc. However, in hypereosinophilic syndromes and Loeffler’s endomyocardial disease, the eosinophilia is“idiopathic.” I believe that a clinical spectrum of the disease exists that is intimately correlated with the number of eosinophils and especially the degree of activation. When more is known about the cardiotropism of eosinophils in the various clinical settings, an important step will have been taken toward both the understanding and the treatment of this disease spectrum.
Zusammenfassung
Die eosinophile Myokarditis ist eine seltene Erkrankung, die durch die Aktvierung eosinophiler Granulozyten verursacht wird, die ihre eosinophilen Granula freisetzen. Einige der freigesetzten Substanzen, besonders die eosinophilen kationischen Proteine, wirken auch am Myokard gewebszerstörend. Die Eosinophilie selbst kann Folge unterschiedlicher Ursachen sein, z. B. einer allergischen Reaktion, einer Infektion durch Parasiten usw. Bei den hypereosinophilen Syndromen und bei der Löffler-Endokarditis ist die Ursache der Eosinophilie noch immer ungeklärt, somit gehört sie zu den idiopathischen Formen. Das klinische Spektrum korreliert eng mit dem Ausmaß der Eosinophilenaktivierung. Wäre mehr über den Kardiotropismus der Eosinophilen bekannt, so wäre sowohl die Pathogenese der eosinophilen Myokarditis besser zu verstehen als auch deren Therapie zielgerichteter möglich.
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Baandrup, U. Eosinophilic myocarditis. Herz 37, 849–853 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00059-012-3701-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00059-012-3701-2
Keywords
- Eosinophilia
- Eosinophilic myocarditis
- Allergic myocarditis
- Hypereosinophilic syndromes
- Loeffler’s endomyocardial disease
- Eosinophilic cationic proteins