The most common causes of acute myocarditis and the possible consequence of dilated
cardiomyopathy are virus infections. The receptor of the two most common viruses connected
to these myocardial diseases was identified as Coxsackie-Adenovirus Receptor. The
purpose of this study was to assess Coxsackie-Adenovirus Receptor mRNA expression
in the myocardium and search for mutations in the Coxsackie-Adenovirus Receptor gene
to compare dilated, inflammatory and ischemic cardiomyopathy with control group. All
the myocardial samples were obtained from 35 explanted hearts during heart transplantation,
than DNA and RNA were isolated from the muscle samples. cDNA was generated from RNA
using reverse transcription, and real-time PCR was performed with relative quantification
by beta-actin gene as endogenous control. Using DNA extracted from the myocardial
samples, we sequenced all the seven exons of the Coxsackie-Adenovirus Receptor gene.
Coxsackie-Adenovirus Receptor mRNA expression was higher in both ischemic and dilated
cardiomyopathy groups than in inflammatory cardiomyopathy and healthy control groups.
Sequencing of CAR gene showed no sign of mutation. Therefore, the sequences result
of CAR exons did not show any mutation or polymorphism, that explains a determinant
role of CAR in dilated or ischemic CM. Our results suggest that high mRNA expression
of Coxsackie-Adenovirus Receptor may support its role in regeneration of the damaged
myocardium rather than having any role in viral mediated heart disease.
