Innate immunity in experimental autoimmune myocarditis

Conclusions: Autoimmune myocarditis can be induced in susceptible strains of mice by infection with coxsackievirus B3. The most prominent antibody elicited by the viral infection reacts with the cardiac isoform of myosin and immunization of susceptible mice with cardiac myosin replicates the autoimmune disease. A number of traits determine whether a particular strain of mice is susceptible to autoimmune myocarditis, but the critical decision is made early after infection during the innate immune response. Four of the major components of the innate response have been investigated and found to contribute to susceptibility: the complement system; NK cells; early-Acting proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines.