Immunomodulating factors and immunosuppressive drugs in the therapy of myocarditis

This review examines the immunologic rationale for immunosuppressive and immunomodulating therapy in man and experimental animal. The controversy if immunosuppressive treatment is beneficial in myocarditis will continue even after the American myocarditis trial. It is obvious that in viral heart disease immunosuppressive drugs should be avoided, in autoreactive forms of myocarditis with proven humoral and cellular effector mechanisms they may be used in controlled randomized trials to validate or negate their benefit. Immunomodulating factors e.g. immunostimulatory or antiviral substances like ribaverin, the interleukins and interferons have demonstrate some effect in experimental animal myocarditis but proof for the efficiency in man is still lacking. Hyperimmunoglobulin therapy appears to be of particular interest because of the little side effects and positive results in CMV associated myopericarditis in man.