The management of myocarditis. European Heart Journal. 2011, -(32), 2616–2625.
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.
In study Kühl et al. 2003, a group of patients with persisting heart muscle inflammation caused by enteroviruses and adenoviruses was treated with interferon beta (specifically interferon beta 1a) for 6 months. The results proved complete elimination of both groups of viruses from the heart muscle, their heart chamber dimensions decreased, symptoms of the heart failure improved and generally, there was observed a significant improvement of patients´ state of health.
Interferon was administered subcutaneously in gradually rising doses. The side effects of the interferon administration were fatigue, flu-like symptoms, reddening in the area of the puncture. These symptoms disappeared in four weeks.
Some patients complained about the feeling of general worsening of their state of health. These feelings subsided after the 12th week of the therapy.
The effect of interferon beta was researched even in herpetic viruses parvovirus B19 and human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6). In this case, complete elimination of the virus was not observed and interferon had not such effects like in patients with myocarditis caused by enteroviruses and adenoviruses. Nevertheless, even in the group of patients with herpetic viruses, improvement of their state of health was observed.
The release of interferon beta in common treatment algorithm in myocarditis cases is complicated by a low number of large studies, by the fact that different viruses may respond to the therapy differently and by other factors. Up to now, it is not completely clearly known which mechanisms are influenced by interferon beta. Nevertheless, there is a presumption that at least, the therapy with interferon could prevent further progress of the disease.
Author of the opening picture: Jawahar Swaminathan and MSD staff at the European Bioinformatics Institute
