A Paradigm Shift: Arrhythmogenic Cardiomyopathy Is an Inflammatory Disease

Arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (ACM) is a genetic myocardial disorder marked by progressive cardiomyocyte loss, fibro-fatty replacement, ventricular arrhythmias, and risk of sudden cardiac death. Traditionally considered a structural and electrical disease driven by desmosomal dysfunction, emerging evidence redefines ACM as an inflammatory cardiomyopathy in which immune activation plays a central role. This review integrates genetic, molecular, experimental, and clinical data to highlight inflammation as a unifying feature of ACM. Desmosomal gene variants impair cell adhesion and also activate cardiomyocyte-intrinsic inflammatory pathways, including nuclear factor of kappa B (NFκB) and glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β) signaling, promoting cytokine release, immune cell recruitment, and fibrotic remodeling. Preclinical studies suggest inflammation precedes structural changes, indicating it may be an initiating event rather than a secondary response. Clinical and pathological findings support this model, with inflammatory infiltrates, circulating cytokines, and autoantibodies observed across disease stages. These processes often present as episodic "hot phases" resembling myocarditis, thus complicating diagnosis. The inflammatory landscape involves both innate and adaptive immunity, along with stromal and neuronal remodeling, contributing to arrhythmogenesis through gap junction disruption, calcium-handling abnormalities, and fibrosis. Environmental factors such as exercise, stress, and metabolic disturbances further modulate inflammatory pathways and disease expression. Therapeutically, this evolving perspective supports immunomodulatory approaches, including inhibition of NFκB, GSK3β, and cytokine signaling. Early clinical data on immunosuppressive and cytokine-directed therapies are promising, especially during active inflammatory phases, while gene-based strategies specifically address the underlying genetic defects. In conclusion, ACM should be recognized as an inflammatory cardiomyopathy shaped by interactions between genetic susceptibility and immune dysregulation. Integrating genetic and immunologic profiling may improve diagnosis, risk stratification, and treatment, ultimately leading to refined personalized therapeutic strategies.