ROLE OF AUTOIMMUNE REACTIONS IN DEVELOPMENT OF CARDIAC ARRHYTHMIA AND CONDUCTION DISTURBANCES

Cardiac arrhythmias and conduction disturbances are an important cause of morbidity and mortality in many countries all over the world. Etiology of these disorders remains unclear in many patients. Experimental and clinical studies show that autoimmune reactions may be involved in development of arrhythmias and cardiac blocks. Precise identification of an autoantibody-mediated mechanism opens new perspectives in the treatment and prevention of cardiac arrhythmias including use of immunosuppressive agents or removal of autoantibodies by absorption technique. The review focuses on cardiac autoantigens, autoantibodies and their interactions that may be involved in development of cardiac arrhythmias.