Immunological Mechanisms in Experimental Coxsackievirus B3 Myocarditis in Mice : 54th Annual Scientific Session of the Japanese Circulation Society

Abstract

To address unresolved questions, experimental models of viral myocarditis may be of great value. In this study, immunological mechanisms of myocardial dam-age in coxsackievirus B3 myocarditis in mice were investigated. The results showed that susceptibility to viral infection is primarily determined by the gene-tic background of the host, that the severity of myocarditis depends not upon B cells but upon T cells, and that antigen-specific T cells play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of acute coxsackievirus B3 myocarditis.