Diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers in acute myocarditis. Interleukin-10.

Acute myocarditis is a major inflammatory heart disease with a variety of clinical courses from the acute to chronic phases represented by unexpected circulatory deterioration during hospitalization and progression to dilated cardiomyopathy. Predicting these disease courses is important for patient management. However, biomarkers have not been fully investigated. In addition, clinical profiles including symptoms, serological data, and electrocardiographic findings in acute myocarditis often mimic more common disorders such as coronary artery disease, which have reduced the diagnostic accuracy of acute myocarditis. These issues hamper the development of safer and earlier therapeutic interventions specific for acute myocarditis. Against this background, identifying simple prognostic and diagnostic biomarkers would contribute dramatically to the improvement in outcomes. Interleukin-10 may be a strong candidate for an excellent biomarker.