Interferons, including interferon beta, are a part of anti-viral and anti-cancer immunity. They suppress the reproduction of the virus and cause cell death in cells affected by the virus.
Up to now performed researches were not of larger scales and the principle of interferon beta effect administered to patients with myocarditis was not still clarified. The results are, however (at least in some types of myocarditis), very promising. There is even an assumption that the administration of interferon beta could be beneficial even in patients suffering from the chronic form of myocarditis…
The management of myocarditis. European Heart Journal. 2011, -(32), 2616–2625.
The effect of immunosuppressive therapy lies in the suppression of the immune system reaction. The possibilities to use immunosuppressants in the therapy of myocarditis and inflammatory dilated cardiomyopathy are influenced by the presence of the virus in the heart muscle tissue. In patients with detected genetical information of a virus in the heart muscle, immunosuppressive therapy cannot be indicated. It could even cause deterioration of a patient´s state of health.
For this reason, immunosuppressive therapy in indicated just in patients without the presence of the genetic information of the virus in the heart muscle…
Immunosuppressive Therapy in Myocarditis. Circulation Journal: Official Journal of the Japanese Circulation Society. 2015, –(79), 4-7.
British Heart Foundation is the largest funder of the cardiovascular research in the United Kingdom. The organization was founded already in 1961 and since then it has supported thousands of medical projects and rapidly increased public knowledge about cardiovascular diseases. Its research and health education saved thousands of lives. Find out more about this foundation and visit their website on this link: https://www.bhf.org.uk/.
Rituximab is a drug whose essence is an antibody against CD20 protein on the surface of B lymphocytes which create antibodies for example against viruses and bacteria. It is used primarily in the treatment of some blood cancers and autoimmune disorders. However, it has the potential to become a drug with a significant positive impact on patients with inflammatory cardiomyopathy
Interleukin 1 beta inhibitors are substances which block the effect of interleukin 1 beta which is one of a huge number of molecules that participate in the regulation of the immune system. At the same time, there is also described, in case of a disrupted function of the immune system, a significant role of interleukin 1 beta in the development of different autoimmune and cardiovascular diseases.
Telbivudine is an antiviral drug used primarily in the therapy of hepatitis B. It is a disease when liver cells are affected by the hepatitis B virus. This disease may lead to liver cirrhosis and failure. However, a favourable effect of Telbivudine has been described even in patients with inflammatory cardiomyopathy caused by the parvovirus B19. This virus is frequently connected with this cardiomyopathy and with myocarditis.