Long‐term follow‐up of patients with myocarditis and idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy after immunomodulatory therapy

• Published in: FEMS immunology and medical microbiology Vol. 10; no. 1; pp. 65 - 74
• Main Authors: Mirić, Milutin, Mišković, Aleksandra, Brkić, Srđan, Vasiljević, Jovan, Keserović, Nenad, Pešić, Milan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01-11-1994
• Subjects: Idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy; Interferon‐α; Myocarditis; Thymic hormone
• ISSN: 0928-8244; 1574-695X
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1574-695X.1994.tb00012.x

The randomized clinical trial with interferon‐α (IFN) or thymic hormones versus conventional therapy was conducted in patients with myocarditis and idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (IDC). We enrolled 180 patients to receive IFN (3–5 million units per day) for 3 months, thymomodulin (10 mg three times per week) for 2 months, or conventional therapy alone. Patients were followed‐up for 7 years after the end of treatment. Left ventricular function, exercise tolerance and survival rate were significantly better at long‐term follow‐up in patients treated with IFN or thymomodulin, than in conventionally treated patients. These results implicate that immune modulating therapy might represent important contribution in the treatment of myocarditis and IDC.