Levels of soluble Fas in patients with myocarditis, heart failure of unknown origin, and in healthy volunteers.

This study showed that serum levels of sFas were elevated in patients with myocarditis, and that this elevation was correlated with sIL-2R level as a marker of T-cell activation. Therefore, sFas levels may be associated with T-cell activation in patients with myocarditis, and elevation of sFas may inhibit apoptosis in activated T cells, leading to persistent cell-mediated destruction of myocytes in myocarditis.