Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Frustaci, Andrea
• Russo, Matteo A.
• Chimenti, Cristina

Titel

Randomized study on the efficacy of immunosuppressive therapy in patients with virus-negative inflammatory cardiomyopathy: the TIMIC study

Ist Teil von

• European heart journal, 2009-08, Vol.30 (16), p.1995-2002

Ort / Verlag

Oxford: Oxford University Press

Erscheinungsjahr

2009

Link zum Volltext

Quelle

Oxford Journals 2020 Medicine

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• Aims To evaluate the efficacy of immunosuppression in virus-negative inflammatory cardiomyopathy. Methods and results This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study included 85 patients with myocarditis and chronic (>6 months) heart failure unresponsive to conventional therapy, with no evidence of myocardial viral genomes. Patients received either prednisone 1 mg kg–1 day–1 for 4 weeks followed by 0.33 mg kg–1 day–1 for 5 months and azathioprine 2 mg kg–1 day–1 for 6 months (43 patients, Group 1) or placebo (42 patients, Group 2) in addition to conventional therapy for heart failure. Primary outcome was the 6 month improvement in left-ventricular function. Group 1 showed a significant improvement of left-ventricular ejection fraction and a significant decrease in left-ventricular dimensions and volumes compared with baseline. None of Group 2 patients showed improvement of ejection fraction, that significantly worsened compared with baseline. No major adverse reaction was registered as a result of immunosuppression. Conclusion These data confirm the efficacy of immunosuppression in virus-negative inflammatory cardiomyopathy. Lack of response in 12% of cases suggests the presence of not screened viruses or mechanisms of damage and inflammation not susceptible to immunosuppression.