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Cardiovascular Research 1997 33(3):527-532; doi:10.1016/S0008-6363(96)00257-X
© 1997 by European Society of Cardiology
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Copyright © 1997, European Society of Cardiology

Review and hypothesis: the eosinophil and peripartum heart disease (myocarditis and coronary artery dissection)—coincidence or pathogenetic significance?

Alain C. Borczuk*,a, Karen H. van Hoevenb and Stephen M. Factora

aDepartment of Pathology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
bDepartment of Pathology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA

Objectives: To examine a possible relationship between peripartum heart disease (myocarditis and spontaneous coronary dissection) and the presence of eosinophils. Background: Eosinophils have been shown to have potential collagenolytic and cytotoxic activity. Eosinophils may play a role in postpartum uterine involution. The presence of eosinophils in spontaneous coronary dissection and myocarditis in the postpartum period raises the possibility of a role for eosinophils in these diseases. Methods: We reviewed the files of one of us (S.M.F.) for cases of peripartum myocarditis and spontaneous coronary dissection and assessed the frequency of eosinophilic inflammation. Seventeen postpartum myocarditis and/or cardiomyopathy cases were found and two spontaneous coronary dissections. Fifteen sex- and age-matched controls on non-postpartum myocarditis and borderline myocarditis were evaluated and eosinophil counts per unit area compared. Also, a Medline search of all previously published cases of spontaneous coronary dissection was performed back to 1966. Results: Of the 16 heart biopsies and one autopsy in the peripartum period, 10 were shown to contain easily identified eosinophils (6 myocarditis, 1 borderline, 3 cardiomyopathy). When presence of eosinophils was compared with the control group, a statistically significant difference was obtained (P = 0.036). The two new spontaneous coronary dissection cases had eosinophils along the dissection plane; the literature search produced 13 of 24 autopsied peripartum spontaneous coronary dissections with eosinophils for a total of 15 of 26 with our cases. Conclusions: An association exists between eosinophils and peripartum cardiac disease (myocarditis and spontaneous coronary dissection). The role of eosinophils in labor, uterine involution and collagenolysis and the possible relation to cardiac disease are discussed.

KEYWORDS Eosinophils; Peripartum heart disease; Spontaneous coronary dissection; Myocarditis

* Corresponding author. Jacobi Medical Center, Van Etten Hospital, Department of Pathology, Room 6C-3, Morris Park and Seminole Avenue, Bronx, NY 10461, USA. Tel. +1 718 918-4803; Fax +1 718 918-4809.


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