Iron Status and Short-Term Recovery after Non-Severe Acute Myocarditis: A Prospective Observational Study

Pathomechanisms responsible for recovery from acute myocarditis (MCD) or progression to non-ischemic cardiomyopathy have not been comprehensively investigated. Iron, positioned at the crossroads of inflammation and the energy metabolism of cardiomyocytes, may contribute to the pathophysiology of inflammatory myocardial disease. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether systemic iron parameters are related to myocardial dysfunction in MCD patients. We prospectively enrolled 42 consecutive patients hospitalized for MCD. Their iron status and their clinical, laboratory, and echocardiographic indices were assessed during hospitalization and during ambulatory visits six weeks after discharge. A control group comprising healthy volunteers was recruited. The MCD patients had higher serum ferritin and hepcidin and lower serum iron concentration and transferrin saturation (TSAT) than the healthy controls (all p < 0.01). Six weeks after discharge, the iron status of the MCD patients was already comparable to that of the control group. During hospitalization, lower serum iron and TSAT correlated with higher NT-proBNP (both p < 0.05). In-hospital lower serum iron and TSAT correlated with both a lower left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and worse left ventricular global longitudinal strain at follow-up visits (all p < 0.05). In conclusion, in patients with acute MCD, iron status is altered and normalizes within six weeks. Low serum iron and TSAT are related to greater in-hospital neurohormonal activation and subtle persistent left ventricular dysfunction.