CHRONIC HEART FAILURE AND CELLS IMMUNE ACTIVATION

Abstract

Chronic heart failure (CHF) is a major public health concern in developed countries, and the introduction of new treatments has improved its prognosis in recent years. However, the immunological aspects of the disease are still not directly targeted. Chronic immune activation with increased levels of pro-inflammatory substances in the blood remains an important characteristic of the disease, regardless of its underlying cause. Autoimmune mechanisms are involved in a subset of patients with dilated cardiomyopathy, but the interaction between these two systems is not yet fully understood. This review summarizes the immune and autoimmune aspects of CHF. I-10, originally referred to as cytokine synthesis inhibitory factor (CSIF), was discovered as a product of Th2 cells that suppresses the production of IFN-3 by Thl cells. It joins TGF-fl as one of the few lymphocyte suppressor factors that have been purified and cloned.