Role of Autoantibodies Against beta(1)-Adrenergic Receptor in Cardiovascular Disease

According to current knowledge, autoantibodies against beta(1)-adrenergic receptors may be involved in pathogenesis of different cardiovascular diseases and are mostly studied in patients with Chagas disease, dilated cardiomyopathy and heart rhythm disorders. They may play an important role in cardiomyocyte apoptosis, alteration of their chrono- and inotropic effects and electrophysiological characteristics. Their effects are transduced via beta(1)-adrenergic receptors and depend on multiple factors as ligand properties, durability of its coupling with the receptor, amount of receptors on the cell surface, their affinity and conformation. Up to the present moment, reasons for autoimmune response and clinical significance of autoantibodies against beta(1)-adrenergic receptors are not thoroughly understood. Autoantibodies against pi-adrenergic receptors can be removed from the bloodstream by immunoadsorption and thus development of validated methods of their identification is relevant.