Background: Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is etiopathogenically linked to intramyocardial inflammation, which is reflected by ICAM-1 abundance. We investigated whether soluble ICAM-I (sICAM-1) levels in the sera of DCM patients are associated with intramyocardial ICAM-1 expression. Methods: Immunohistochemically detected ICAM-1 expression was quantified semi quantitatively in endomyocardial biopsies from DCM patients (n=45; n=17 females; age: 48+/-15 years) and from n=12 donor hearts (controls) by a human observer (baseline vs. enhanced expression) and quantitatively by a digital image analysis (DIA) system. The DIA-measured qualities were area fraction (AF), surface-volume ratio (SVR) and integral optical density (ID). The sICAM-1 levels of the DCM patients and n=12 healthy volunteers (controls) were measured by ELISA (means of duplicate measurements). Intramyocardial ICAM-I expression and sICAM-1 levels were compared in these DCM patients. Results: Of the DCM patients, n=24 (53%) demonstrated statistically higher sICAM-1 levels compared to controls (>198 ng/ml). By semiquantitative and quantitative DIA evaluation, endothelial ICAM-1 abundance was present in n=25 (56%) of the DCM biopsies. sICAM-1 correlated significantly (P<0.001) both with the semiquantitatively assessed and the DIA-measured ICAM-1-AF, the ICAM-1-SVR and the ICAM-1-ID. The positive predictive value of sICAM-1 measurements for intramyocardial ICAM-1 abundance was 96%, and the negative predictive value was 71%, with a receiver operating characteristic area under the curve of 0.93. Furthermore, sICAM-1 levels correlated with intramyocardial T-lymphocytic (CD2+/CD3+) infiltrates (P<0.03). Conclusions: Measurement of non-invasively obtained sICAM-1 reliably reflects intramyocardial ICAM-1 expression and may therefore serve as a non-invasive marker of inflammatory activity in DCM. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ein 48-jähriger Patient mit dilatativer Kardiomyopathie bemerkte erstmals Ruhe- und Belastungsdyspnoe sowie eine Verschlechterung des Allgemeinzustandes. Bis auf ein leises Systolikum über der Herzspitze war die klinische Untersuchung unauffällig.    In der Echokardiographie stellte sich ein global schwer eingeschränkt kontrahierender und dilatierter linker Ventrikel ohne Ventrikelthromben dar. In der Herzkatheteruntersuchung wurden nach Ausschluss einer koronaren Herzerkrankung mehrere Endomyokardbiopsien entnommen. Die immunhistologische Auswertung der Biopsien zeigte als Ausdruck einer myokardialen Entzündungreaktion in das Myokardgewebe infiltrierende Lymphozyten sowie eine verstärkte interstitielle und endotheliale HLA-Expression. Als ein Maß der intravasalen Thrombozytenaktivierung wurden Thrombozytenoberflächenproteine am Durchflusszytometer quantitativ analysiert. Bei unserem Patienten zeigte sich eine signifikante Erhöhung der Thrombozytenaktivierung sowohl im Vergleich zu einer gesunden Kontrollgruppe als auch zu 20 Patienten mit dilatativer Kardiomyopathie.    Die Herzinsuffizienz des Patienten wurde medikamentös mit einem ACE-Hemmer, einem Schleifendiuretikum, einem Spironolacton sowie einem Digitalispräparat behandelt. Bei hochgradig eingeschränkter Pumpfunktion des linken Ventrikels erfolgte zeitgleich eine antikoagulatorische Therapie mit Phenprocoumon und mit Acetylsalicylsäure (ASS). Nach einem halben Jahr stellte sich in der erneut durchgeführten Echokardiographie bei weiterhin hochgradig eingeschränkter Kontraktilität trotz adäquater Antikoagulation ein wandständiger Ventrikelthrombus dar.    Trotz antithrombotischer Therapie mit ASS und Phenprocoumon konnte die Entstehung eines Ventrikelthrombus nicht verhindert werden. Bei unserem Patienten mit dilatativer Kardiomyopathie lag eine erhöhte Thrombozytenaktivierung (>4fache SD) vor. Es ist zu diskutieren, ob eine zusätzliche antiaggregatorische Therapie mit Clopidogrel bei Patienten mit dilatativer Kardiomyopathie und erhöhter Plättchenaktivierung angezeigt ist.    Thromboembolische Ereignisse sind bedeutende Komplikationen bei dilatativer Kardiomyopathie. Bei ca. 10–40% der Patienten treten im Verlauf der Erkrankung Embolien auf (5, 7). Oftmals kann dabei ein in der Echokardiographie sichtbarer Ventrikelthrombus nachgewiesen werden (6). Eine orale antikoagulatorische Therapie mit Marcumar wird deshalb bei Patienten mit dilatativer Kardiomyopathie empfohlen (9).    Wir berichten über einen Patienten mit inflammatorischer Kardiomyopathie und global hochgradig eingeschränkter Pumpfunktion, der in der durchflusszytometrischen Analyse von Thrombozytenoberflächenproteinen eine überdurchschnittliche hohe Plättchenaktivierung zeigte und trotz adäquater Marcumarisierung und Therapie mit Acetylsalicylsäure innerhalb von einem halben Jahr einen Ventrikelthrombus entwickelte.

HISTORY AND CLINICAL FINDINGS:A 48-year-old patient with dilated cardiomyopathy complained of dyspnea at rest, severe sleeplessness and a slight pain in the stomach. The clinical examination was normal except for a murmur at the apex of the heart. There was no evidence of edema or congestion of the jugular veins.INVESTIGATION:The echocardiography demonstrated a dilated left ventricle with severely compromised function. No ventricular thrombi were present at this time. Coronary artery disease was excluded by coronary angiography. Endomyocardial biopsies were obtained from the right ventricular septum. The immunohistological analysis of the endomyocardial biopsy specimens revealed pathologically increased lymphocytic infiltrates and increased expression of interstitial and endothelial MHC I and II antigens. Flow cytometric analysis of platelets surface antigens (P-selectin, GP53, thrombospondin) was performed as a measure for intravasal platelet activation. Our patient compared to a healthy control group (> 4 SD) and to other patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (> 2 SD). A high grade increase of platelet activation was found.TREATMENT AND COURSE:ACE inhibitor, diuretics, spironolactone and digitalis were used to treat the heart insufficiency. Due to the severe left ventricular dysfunction phenprocoumone and aspirin were also prescribed. A follow-up echocardiography was performed 6 months later. Comparable to the first examination left ventricular contractility was found to be severely reduced. In addition, a marginal thrombus was now present in the left ventricle despite antithrombotic therapy.DISCUSSION:An increased platelet activation was found in the peripheral circulation of our patient with dilated cardiomyopathy. After 6 months, ventricular thrombi were found in the dilated ventricle, although aspirin and phenprocoumone had been administred. We speculate that an additional thrombotic treatment with clopidogrel is necessary in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy and increased platelet activation.

Spontaneous coronary artery dissection is a rare cause of ischemic heart disease. Incidence, etiology and optimal treatment are ill-defined. Between July 1995 and December 1997, we prospectively identified 42 patients (36 men, six women, mean age 59 +/- 12 years) with spontaneous coronary artery dissection among 3803 consecutive angiographic examinations in which the diagnosis of coronary artery disease was established for the first time (incidence 1.1%). In comparison to the remaining study population with stable angina pectoris (8 cases of spontaneous coronary artery dissection among 2852 patients; incidence: 0.3%), the incidence of spontaneous coronary artery dissection was significantly higher in the patient subgroups with acute myocardial infarction (13/450; 2.9%) and with unstable angina pectoris or postinfarction angina (21/501; 4.2%). Dissection was most frequently located in the left anterior descending coronary artery (19 cases), followed by the right coronary artery (15 cases) and the left circumflex coronary artery (8 cases). Because of an ambiguous angiographic lesion appearance intravascular ultrasound imaging was performed in 13 patients to confirm the diagnosis. The presumed etiology of spontaneous coronary artery dissection was atherosclerotic plaque rupture in 35 cases, heavy physical exercise in four cases and hormonal influences related to pregnancy and contraception in one case. In two cases, no obvious risk factor could be identified. Therapy consisted of intracoronary stenting in 24 patients (including ten patients with acute myocardial infarction), coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in 8 patients and balloon angioplasty (PTCA) in seven patients. Three patients were treated conservatively. During a mean follow-up period of 13.5 +/- 9.9 months, two patients died and 31 patients remained entirely asymptomatic, including all patients who were treated with CABG. Restenosis developed in three patients after stent implantation (restenosis rate: 12.5%). Following primary PTCA, spontaneous coronary artery dissection recurred in two patients, one of whom subsequently died.