Study: An engineered human cardiac tissue model reveals contributions of systemic lupus erythematosus autoantibodies to myocardial injury. Image Credit: Shit4Sell / Shutterstock.com In a recent study published in the journal Nature Cardiovascular Research , researchers investigate the mechanisms of myocardial injury in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).
How does lupus affect the heart? Myocardial involvement affects 25-50% of SLE patients and often leads to ventricular dysfunction, inflammation, and heart failure. T-cells and autoantibodies are primarily responsible for organ damage in SLE; however, the exact mechanisms by which autoantibodies contribute to myocardial injury remain unclear. Thus, further research is needed to fully understand the complex mechanisms by which different SLE autoantibodies contribute to myocardial injury and identify targeted therapeutic strategies.
About the study Study participants were recruited from the Columbia University Lupus Center and provided informed consent, with approval from the Columbia University Institutional Review Board (IRB). The current study included both non-hospitalized patients with SLE without active cardiac symptoms and hospitalized patients with active cardiac symptoms. Fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18F-FDG PET/CT) imaging was employed to detect myocardial inflammation in all study participants.
Eligible participants were 18 years or older, met the 1997 American Colle.