Data Structures and Efficient Algorithms Final Report on the DFG Special Joint Initiative

Myocarditis and idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy are being increasingly recognized as important causes of heart disease and heart failure. Immunological mechanisms have long been suspected as playing a role in thesediseases but direct evidence has been lacking. Recently, animal models have be- come available, in which myocarditis can be induced either by infection with cardiotropic viruses or by autoimmuniza- tion with heart-specific antigens. This book presents and analyzes the latest information obtained from experimental models, relating it to the practical problems of diagnosis and treatment of myocarditis.