Publications by authors named "Elizabeth J McCabe"

Background: Myocarditis is an inflammation of the heart muscle most often caused by viral infections. Sex differences in the immune response during myocarditis have been well described but upstream mechanisms in the heart that might influence sex differences in disease are not completely understood.

Methods: Male and female BALB/c wild type mice received an intraperitoneal injection of heart-passaged coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3) or vehicle control.

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Objectives: Patients with hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (hEDS) and hypermobility spectrum disorders (HSD) experience a wide array of symptoms and system disorders. This study aimed to identify whether differences occurred in 115 self-reported symptoms and comorbidities in patients diagnosed with hEDS or HSD.

Methods: In this study we analysed self-reported data from an EDS Clinic intake questionnaire in patients diagnosed with hEDS, HSD or no hypermobile conditions.

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Autoimmune diseases are a leading cause of disability worldwide. Most autoimmune diseases occur more often in women than men, with rheumatic autoimmune diseases being among those most highly expressed in women. Several key factors, identified mainly in animal models and cell culture experiments, are important in increasing autoimmune disease in females.

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Article Synopsis
  • - Recent studies suggest that viral infections, such as coxsackievirus B3 and SARS-CoV-2, may trigger autoimmune diseases by targeting mitochondria and activating the innate immune response through mitochondrial vesicles.
  • - Infections can lead to autoreactivity in the heart, primarily due to its high mitochondrial density, causing immune responses against proteins like cardiac myosin, even when the heart isn't the main infection site.
  • - The review aims to summarize the current understanding of how viral infections contribute to myocarditis by promoting the release of mitochondrial-containing extracellular vesicles and the role of genetic tolerance defects in increasing autoimmunity risk.
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