The role of viruses, inflammation and myocardial macrophages in the development of idiopathic arrhythmia

We studied viral antigens, inflammation, and macrophages in the endomyocardial biopsies of patients with idiopathic arrhythmias. Immunohistological study was performed to identify the antigens of cardiotropic viruses and the types of lymphocytes and macrophages. We observed the presence of viral antigens in the myocardium of patients with and without histological criteria of myocarditis. Heart failure and ventricular arrhythmias were associated with small focal infiltration of the myocardium with macrophages. The presence of viral antigens in the myocardium was associated with fewer number of myocardial M2 macrophages. Severity of myocardial interstitial fibrosis correlated with small-focal infiltration of M2 macrophages