In this study, we enrolled 73 consecutive patients in our hospital in whom polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis had detected viral HHV-6 A and B genomes in the biopsy sample at clinical presentation between June 2003 and December 2008. EMB was taken to further elucidate a possible inflammatory and/or infectious cause of their disease because the clinical presentation had suggested inflammatory cardiomyopathy or DCM. Major complaints and clinical signs were symptoms of moderate heart failure with fatigue, reduced physical capacity, or dyspnea on exertion.Coronary artery disease and other possible causes of myocardial dysfunction (hypertension, valvular disease) had been excluded by angiography prior to EMB in all patients. We further excluded patients with anti-viral, immunomodulatory, or immunosuppressive
therapy within the last 6 months, clinical or biochemical
evidence of the presence of concomitant chronic inflammatory
disease, chronic renal insufficiency (creatinine ≥ 1.4 mmol/l), or
malignant disease