heart disease

[Brick Ayola]

Greetings!
If I remember correctly, Coxsackie B3 virus can cause myocarditis 
supposedly by inducing a type of autoimmunity. C.J. Gauntt has done a lot 
of this work.

Brick Ayola, Ph.D.
Tulane School of Medicine


On 22 Jan 1995, The Spy wrote:

> Hello.  I was wondering if it is possible to pick up a virus that
> causes heart disease.  The main symptoms are occasional bouts of
> a sharp chest pain that occurs where the heart is located, 
> accompanied by shortness of breath, sweating, and temporary 
> increased heart rate.  In addition, a routine blood test (taken
> during a medical checkup) showed an abnormally high cholesterol
> level which is probably not caused by the diet alone.
> 
> If there is a virus, is there a simple test that can be done to 
> check (ie a simple blood test)?  What type of medication (ie is
> there a specific anti-viral drug) can be taken?  If this 
> medication is taken and there is in fact no virus, can the 
> medication cause side-effects?
> 
> Thanks for any info,
> 
> J.Lulla
> 
> 
>