Scientists have discovered mutations that protect the inner surface of the heart from inflammation. Apparently, a drug recently approved to treat this disease mimics the effects of the mutations, confirming its effectiveness. The research was published in the journal JAMA Cardiology.
Pericarditis (inflammation of the heart lining) can cause impaired heart contraction and symptoms of heart failure: shortness of breath, dry cough, fatigue, pain in the heart area and others. Some patients experience recurrent pericarditis, which is difficult to treat. Incomplete understanding of immune processes in pericarditis makes drug development difficult.
In a new study, scientists found mutations that protect people from pericarditis. They are located in the region of genes responsible for the synthesis of interleukin-1 (IL-1), a molecule that promotes inflammation. Drugs that block the action of IL-1 have previously been used to treat other inflammatory diseases. They have recently been tested in clinical studies on recurrent pericarditis and have been shown to be highly effective. One of these drugs was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for use in recurrent pericarditis in 2021.
The results of the study will help determine which forms of interleukin-1 are most important. Additionally, mutation analysis may be a useful tool in drug selection for pericarditis in the future.
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