Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 24, 2026

Flow Cytometry-Based Quantification and Analysis of Myocardial B-Cells
Published on: August 17, 2022
Familial clustering of autoimmune diseases in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy
Constantinos J Limas1, Panayotis Iakovis, Alexandros Anyfantakis
1First Department of Cardiology, Onassis Cardiac Surgery Center, Athens, Greece. cokkino1@otenet.gr
Abstract:
In this study, we examined the hypothesis that dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) shares genetic risk factors with other diseases of presumed autoimmune etiology, and, therefore, the same multiple genes in combination with environmental factors lead to numerous different autoimmune diseases. In accordance with this hypothesis, we showed an increased prevalence of autoimmune diseases in first-degree relatives of patients with DCM. Also, T-cell activation, as reflected in high levels of the soluble interleukin-2 receptor, appears to identify patients with DCM with a clustering of autoimmune diseases.
Related Concept Videos
Cardiomyopathy II: Dilated Cardiomyopathy
Cardiomyopathy I: Introduction and Classification
Cardiomyopathy III: Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
Cardiomyopathy IV: Restrictive Cardiomyopathy
Rheumatic Heart Disease I: Introduction
Cardiomyopathy V: Interprofessional Care

