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1
Inheritance
4
Pathophys.
1
Histopath.
6
Phenotypes
11
Pathograph
14
Genes
3
Treatments
3
Differentials
1
Deep Research
👪

Inheritance

1
Autosomal dominant inheritance HP:0000006
Most familial ARVC is inherited in an autosomal dominant fashion with reduced penetrance and variable expressivity.
Autosomal dominant inheritance Penetrance: INCOMPLETE

Pathophysiology

4
Desmosomal adhesion failure
The dominant proximal mechanism in ARVC is disruption of desmosomal cell-cell adhesion at the cardiomyocyte intercalated disc, most often from pathogenic variants in PKP2, DSP, DSG2, DSC2, or JUP.
cardiac muscle cell link
PKP2 link DSP link DSG2 link DSC2 link JUP link
cell-cell adhesion link ↓ DECREASED
Show evidence (1 reference)
PMID:24817548 SUPPORT Human Clinical
"The molecular genetic substrate for the disease is mainly acknowledged in genes encoding desmosomal adhesion proteins in the intercalated disk."
This directly supports desmosomal adhesion failure as the main proximal mechanism in the disease.
Gap junction uncoupling
Altered connexin43 distribution reduces effective electrical coupling between ventricular cardiomyocytes.
cardiac muscle cell link
cell-cell signaling link ↓ DECREASED
Show evidence (1 reference)
PMID:24817548 SUPPORT Human Clinical
"These alterations give rise to electrical cell-cell uncoupling and slow conduction, respectively, thereby providing a substrate for early activation delay resulting in ventricular tachyarrhythmia, a hallmark of AC"
This directly supports electrical uncoupling as an atomic disease mechanism.
Sodium-channel redistribution and conduction slowing
Altered sodium-channel localization slows conduction in ventricular myocardium and enlarges the arrhythmogenic substrate.
cardiac muscle cell link
transmembrane transport link ↓ DECREASED
Show evidence (1 reference)
PMID:24817548 SUPPORT Human Clinical
"These alterations give rise to electrical cell-cell uncoupling and slow conduction, respectively, thereby providing a substrate for early activation delay resulting in ventricular tachyarrhythmia, a hallmark of AC"
This directly supports conduction slowing as a distinct mechanistic node.
Fibrofatty replacement of cardiomyocytes
Progressive loss of cardiomyocytes with fibrofatty replacement produces structural ventricular disease and later-stage ventricular dysfunction.
cardiac muscle cell link fibroblast of cardiac tissue link
tissue remodeling link ↑ INCREASED
heart right ventricle link
Show evidence (1 reference)
PMID:24817548 SUPPORT Human Clinical
"Arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (AC), also known as arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia/cardiomyopathy (ARVD/C), is a hereditary disease characterised by ventricular arrhythmias, right ventricular and/or left ventricular dysfunction, and fibrofatty replacement of cardiomyocytes."
This directly supports fibrofatty replacement as the defining structural lesion.

Histopathology

1
Fibrous replacement of right ventricular free wall myocardium
Endomyocardial biopsy can show marked loss of right-ventricular myocytes with fibrous replacement of the free wall myocardium.
Show evidence (1 reference)
PMID:24817548 SUPPORT Human Clinical
"Residual myocytes <60 % by morphometric analysis (or <50 % if estimated), with fibrous replacement of the RV free wall myocardium in ≥1 sample, with or without fatty replacement of tissue on endomyocardial biopsy"
This directly supports the characteristic biopsy finding of fibrous right ventricular wall replacement in ARVC.

Pathograph

Use the checkboxes to hide or show graph categories. Hover nodes for evidence and cross-linked metadata.
Pathograph: causal mechanism network for arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy Interactive directed graph showing how pathophysiology mechanisms, phenotypes, genetic factors and variants, experimental models, environmental triggers, and treatments relate through causal and linked edges.

Phenotypes

6
Ventricular tachycardia Cardiovascular HP:0004756
Show evidence (1 reference)
PMID:24817548 SUPPORT Human Clinical
"Patients with AC typically present between the second and the fourth decade of life with palpitations, lightheadedness, or syncope due to ventricular ectopy or (monomorphic) ventricular tachycardia (VT) with left bundle branch block (LBBB) morphology"
This directly supports ventricular tachycardia as a core phenotype.
Syncope Cardiovascular HP:0001279
Show evidence (1 reference)
PMID:24817548 SUPPORT Human Clinical
"Patients with AC typically present between the second and the fourth decade of life with palpitations, lightheadedness, or syncope due to ventricular ectopy or (monomorphic) ventricular tachycardia (VT) with left bundle branch block (LBBB) morphology"
This directly supports syncope as a characteristic presenting symptom.
Right ventricular dilatation Cardiovascular HP:0005133
T-wave inversion Cardiovascular HP:0010872
Show evidence (1 reference)
PMID:34191271 SUPPORT Human Clinical
"Patients carrying a PKP2 mutation were younger at diagnosis (p = 0.003), more often had negative T waves in V1-V3 (p = 0.01)"
This directly supports right-precordial T-wave inversion as part of the ARVC ECG phenotype.
Sudden cardiac death Cardiovascular HP:0001645
Show evidence (1 reference)
PMID:24817548 SUPPORT Human Clinical
"However, sudden cardiac death (SCD) may be the first manifestation, often at young age in the concealed stage of disease."
This directly supports sudden cardiac death as a major disease phenotype.
Congestive heart failure Cardiovascular HP:0001635
Show evidence (1 reference)
PMID:34191271 SUPPORT Human Clinical
"Patients carrying a PKP2 mutation were younger at diagnosis (p = 0.003), more often had negative T waves in V1-V3 (p = 0.01), had higher left ventricular ejection fraction (p = 0.04), and were less likely to present symptoms of heart failure (p = 0.01)"
This supports heart failure as a clinically relevant phenotype within the ARVC spectrum.
🧬

Genetic Associations

14
PKP2 (Common causative gene)
Show evidence (2 references)
PMID:34191271 SUPPORT Human Clinical
"Ten variants (5 frameshift, 2 nonsense, 2 splicing, and 1 missense) in PKP2 were found in 28 (50%) cases."
This directly supports PKP2 as the most common established ARVC gene in this cohort.
"PKP2 | HGNC:9024 | arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy | MONDO:0016587 | AD | Definitive"
ClinGen classifies the PKP2-arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy gene-disease relationship as definitive with autosomal dominant inheritance.
Desmosomal gene spectrum
Show evidence (1 reference)
PMID:24817548 SUPPORT Human Clinical
"In 2000, the seminal discovery of mutations in the plakoglobin (JUP) gene as the basis of Naxos disease, an autosomal recessive cardio-cutaneous syndrome with AC, directed the search for the genetic substrate to other genes encoding desmosomal proteins"
This supports disease-level genetic heterogeneity centered on desmosomal genes.
CDH2 (Pathogenic Variants)
Show evidence (1 reference)
"CDH2 | HGNC:1759 | arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy | MONDO:0016587 | AD | Limited"
ClinGen classifies the CDH2-arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy gene-disease relationship as limited with autosomal dominant inheritance.
CTNNA3 (Pathogenic Variants)
Show evidence (1 reference)
"CTNNA3 | HGNC:2511 | arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy | MONDO:0016587 | AD | Limited"
ClinGen classifies the CTNNA3-arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy gene-disease relationship as limited with autosomal dominant inheritance.
DES (Pathogenic Variants)
Show evidence (1 reference)
"DES | HGNC:2770 | arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy | MONDO:0016587 | AD | Moderate"
ClinGen classifies the DES-arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy gene-disease relationship as moderate with autosomal dominant inheritance.
DSG2 (Pathogenic Variants)
Show evidence (1 reference)
"DSG2 | HGNC:3049 | arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy | MONDO:0016587 | AD | Definitive"
ClinGen classifies the DSG2-arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy gene-disease relationship as definitive with autosomal dominant inheritance.
LMNA (Pathogenic Variants)
Show evidence (1 reference)
"LMNA | HGNC:6636 | arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy | MONDO:0016587 | AD | Limited"
ClinGen classifies the LMNA-arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy gene-disease relationship as limited with autosomal dominant inheritance.
MYBPC3 (Pathogenic Variants)
Show evidence (1 reference)
"MYBPC3 | HGNC:7551 | arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy | MONDO:0016587 | AD | Limited"
ClinGen classifies the MYBPC3-arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy gene-disease relationship as limited with autosomal dominant inheritance.
MYH7 (Pathogenic Variants)
Show evidence (1 reference)
"MYH7 | HGNC:7577 | arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy | MONDO:0016587 | AD | Limited"
ClinGen classifies the MYH7-arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy gene-disease relationship as limited with autosomal dominant inheritance.
MYL3 (Pathogenic Variants)
Show evidence (1 reference)
"MYL3 | HGNC:7584 | arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy | MONDO:0016587 | AD | Limited"
ClinGen classifies the MYL3-arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy gene-disease relationship as limited with autosomal dominant inheritance.
PLN (Pathogenic Variants)
Show evidence (1 reference)
"PLN | HGNC:9080 | arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy | MONDO:0016587 | AD | Moderate"
ClinGen classifies the PLN-arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy gene-disease relationship as moderate with autosomal dominant inheritance.
SCN5A (Pathogenic Variants)
Show evidence (1 reference)
"SCN5A | HGNC:10593 | arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy | MONDO:0016587 | AD | Limited"
ClinGen classifies the SCN5A-arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy gene-disease relationship as limited with autosomal dominant inheritance.
TGFB3 (Pathogenic Variants)
Show evidence (1 reference)
"TGFB3 | HGNC:11769 | arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy | MONDO:0016587 | AD | Limited"
ClinGen classifies the TGFB3-arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy gene-disease relationship as limited with autosomal dominant inheritance.
TJP1 (Pathogenic Variants)
Show evidence (1 reference)
"TJP1 | HGNC:11827 | arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy | MONDO:0016587 | AD | Limited"
ClinGen classifies the TJP1-arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy gene-disease relationship as limited with autosomal dominant inheritance.
💊

Treatments

3
Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator placement
Action: implantable cardioverter-defibrillator placement MAXO:0000474
ICD implantation is used to prevent sudden cardiac death in symptomatic or otherwise high-risk patients.
Show evidence (1 reference)
PMID:24817548 SUPPORT Human Clinical
"Therapeutic options in symptomatic patients include antiarrhythmic drugs, catheter ablation, and ICD implantation."
This directly supports ICD implantation as a standard treatment option.
Antiarrhythmic pharmacotherapy
Action: Pharmacotherapy NCIT:C15986
Agent: sotalol amiodarone flecainide
Antiarrhythmic drugs are used for symptomatic arrhythmia control.
Show evidence (1 reference)
PMID:24817548 SUPPORT Human Clinical
"Since ventricular arrhythmias and cardiac arrest occur frequently during or after physical exercise or may be triggered by catecholamines, non-class III antiadrenergic beta-blockers are recommended. In the absence of adequate antiarrhythmic response, sotalol in an appropriate dose is the drug of..."
This directly supports antiarrhythmic pharmacotherapy and names the main drug options used in symptomatic ARVC.
Catheter ablation
Action: cardiac radiofrequency ablation Ontology label: Cardiac Radiofrequency Ablation NCIT:C170884
Catheter ablation is used for recurrent ventricular tachycardia in selected patients.
Show evidence (1 reference)
PMID:24817548 SUPPORT Human Clinical
"Catheter ablation is an alternative in patients who are refractory to drug treatment and have frequent VT episodes (with a predominantly single morphology)"
This directly supports catheter ablation as a treatment option for recurrent ventricular tachycardia in ARVC.
🌍

Environmental Factors

1
Competitive and endurance sports
Vigorous exercise is an important disease modifier that accelerates progression and increases arrhythmic risk.
Show evidence (1 reference)
PMID:24817548 SUPPORT Human Clinical
"Furthermore, patients with AC and also all pathogenic mutation carriers should be advised against practising competitive and endurance sports."
This directly supports strenuous exercise as a clinically important exacerbating exposure.
🔀

Differential Diagnoses

3

Conditions with similar clinical presentations that must be differentiated from arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy:

Idiopathic right ventricular outflow tract ventricular tachycardia
Overlapping Features Idiopathic RVOT ventricular tachycardia can mimic ARVC arrhythmias but lacks the familial structural cardiomyopathy substrate.
Show evidence (1 reference)
PMID:24817548 SUPPORT Human Clinical
"In particular, differentiation from idiopathic VT originating from the RV outflow tract (RVOT) can be challenging."
This directly supports idiopathic RVOT VT as an important differential diagnosis.
Cardiac sarcoidosis Not Yet Curated MONDO:0001707
Overlapping Features Cardiac sarcoidosis can mimic ARVC clinically, on imaging, and even on some molecular markers.
Show evidence (1 reference)
PMID:24817548 SUPPORT Human Clinical
"Another disease mimicking AC is cardiac sarcoidosis"
This directly supports cardiac sarcoidosis as a key differential.
Overlapping Features Advanced ARVC can mimic dilated cardiomyopathy, but arrhythmia-first presentation should prompt ARVC consideration.
Show evidence (1 reference)
PMID:24817548 SUPPORT Human Clinical
"AC may also mimic dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), especially in the more advanced stages of disease."
This directly supports dilated cardiomyopathy as a differential diagnosis.
{ }

Source YAML

click to show
name: arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy
creation_date: '2026-04-14T12:00:00Z'
updated_date: '2026-04-15T10:15:00Z'
category: Mendelian
description: >-
  Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy is a hereditary
  cardiomyopathy characterized by ventricular arrhythmias, right ventricular
  and sometimes left ventricular dysfunction, and progressive fibrofatty
  replacement of cardiomyocytes. The disease is most often driven by defects in
  desmosomal adhesion proteins at the cardiomyocyte intercalated disc, causing
  mechanical uncoupling, electrical conduction abnormalities, and an
  arrhythmogenic substrate that can lead to syncope or sudden cardiac death.
disease_term:
  preferred_term: arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy
  term:
    id: MONDO:0016587
    label: arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy
synonyms:
- arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia/cardiomyopathy
- ARVC
- arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy
parents:
- hereditary disease
- cardiomyopathy
inheritance:
- name: Autosomal dominant inheritance
  inheritance_term:
    preferred_term: Autosomal dominant inheritance
    term:
      id: HP:0000006
      label: Autosomal dominant inheritance
  penetrance: INCOMPLETE
  description: >-
    Most familial ARVC is inherited in an autosomal dominant fashion with
    reduced penetrance and variable expressivity.
pathophysiology:
- name: Desmosomal adhesion failure
  description: >-
    The dominant proximal mechanism in ARVC is disruption of desmosomal
    cell-cell adhesion at the cardiomyocyte intercalated disc, most often from
    pathogenic variants in PKP2, DSP, DSG2, DSC2, or JUP.
  genes:
  - preferred_term: PKP2
    term:
      id: hgnc:9024
      label: PKP2
  - preferred_term: DSP
    term:
      id: hgnc:3052
      label: DSP
  - preferred_term: DSG2
    term:
      id: hgnc:3049
      label: DSG2
  - preferred_term: DSC2
    term:
      id: hgnc:3036
      label: DSC2
  - preferred_term: JUP
    term:
      id: hgnc:6207
      label: JUP
  cell_types:
  - preferred_term: cardiac muscle cell
    term:
      id: CL:0000746
      label: cardiac muscle cell
  biological_processes:
  - preferred_term: cell-cell adhesion
    term:
      id: GO:0098609
      label: cell-cell adhesion
    modifier: DECREASED
  evidence:
  - reference: PMID:24817548
    reference_title: >-
      Arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy: diagnosis, genetic background, and risk
      management.
    supports: SUPPORT
    evidence_source: HUMAN_CLINICAL
    snippet: >-
      The molecular genetic substrate for the disease is mainly acknowledged in
      genes encoding desmosomal adhesion proteins in the intercalated disk.
    explanation: >-
      This directly supports desmosomal adhesion failure as the main proximal
      mechanism in the disease.
  downstream:
  - target: Gap junction uncoupling
    description: >-
      Intercalated-disc disruption redistributes gap-junction proteins and
      reduces effective electrical coupling between cardiomyocytes.
    causal_link_type: DIRECT
    evidence:
    - reference: PMID:24817548
      reference_title: >-
        Arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy: diagnosis, genetic background, and risk
        management.
      supports: SUPPORT
      evidence_source: HUMAN_CLINICAL
      snippet: >-
        These alterations give rise to electrical cell-cell uncoupling and slow
        conduction, respectively, thereby providing a substrate for early
        activation delay resulting in ventricular tachyarrhythmia, a hallmark
        of AC
      explanation: >-
        This directly links intercalated-disc remodeling to gap-junction
        uncoupling.
  - target: Sodium-channel redistribution and conduction slowing
    description: >-
      Desmosomal disruption also alters sodium-channel localization and slows
      ventricular conduction.
    causal_link_type: DIRECT
    evidence:
    - reference: PMID:24817548
      reference_title: >-
        Arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy: diagnosis, genetic background, and risk
        management.
      supports: SUPPORT
      evidence_source: HUMAN_CLINICAL
      snippet: >-
        These alterations give rise to electrical cell-cell uncoupling and slow
        conduction, respectively, thereby providing a substrate for early
        activation delay resulting in ventricular tachyarrhythmia, a hallmark
        of AC
      explanation: >-
        This directly links intercalated-disc remodeling to conduction slowing.
- name: Gap junction uncoupling
  description: >-
    Altered connexin43 distribution reduces effective electrical coupling
    between ventricular cardiomyocytes.
  cell_types:
  - preferred_term: cardiac muscle cell
    term:
      id: CL:0000746
      label: cardiac muscle cell
  biological_processes:
  - preferred_term: cell-cell signaling
    term:
      id: GO:0007267
      label: cell-cell signaling
    modifier: DECREASED
  evidence:
  - reference: PMID:24817548
    reference_title: >-
      Arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy: diagnosis, genetic background, and risk
      management.
    supports: SUPPORT
    evidence_source: HUMAN_CLINICAL
    snippet: >-
      These alterations give rise to electrical cell-cell uncoupling and slow
      conduction, respectively, thereby providing a substrate for early
      activation delay resulting in ventricular tachyarrhythmia, a hallmark of
      AC
    explanation: >-
      This directly supports electrical uncoupling as an atomic disease
      mechanism.
  downstream:
  - target: Ventricular tachycardia
    description: >-
      Electrical uncoupling contributes to ventricular tachycardia as a major
      clinical arrhythmic outcome.
    causal_link_type: DIRECT
  - target: Syncope
    description: >-
      Malignant ventricular arrhythmia can cause transient cerebral
      hypoperfusion and syncope.
    causal_link_type: DIRECT
- name: Sodium-channel redistribution and conduction slowing
  description: >-
    Altered sodium-channel localization slows conduction in ventricular
    myocardium and enlarges the arrhythmogenic substrate.
  cell_types:
  - preferred_term: cardiac muscle cell
    term:
      id: CL:0000746
      label: cardiac muscle cell
  biological_processes:
  - preferred_term: transmembrane transport
    term:
      id: GO:0055085
      label: transmembrane transport
    modifier: DECREASED
  evidence:
  - reference: PMID:24817548
    reference_title: >-
      Arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy: diagnosis, genetic background, and risk
      management.
    supports: SUPPORT
    evidence_source: HUMAN_CLINICAL
    snippet: >-
      These alterations give rise to electrical cell-cell uncoupling and slow
      conduction, respectively, thereby providing a substrate for early
      activation delay resulting in ventricular tachyarrhythmia, a hallmark of
      AC
    explanation: >-
      This directly supports conduction slowing as a distinct mechanistic node.
  downstream:
  - target: Ventricular tachycardia
    description: >-
      Slow and heterogeneous conduction supports ventricular tachycardia.
    causal_link_type: DIRECT
  - target: Sudden cardiac death
    description: >-
      Severe ventricular arrhythmia can degenerate into sudden cardiac death.
    causal_link_type: DIRECT
- name: Fibrofatty replacement of cardiomyocytes
  description: >-
    Progressive loss of cardiomyocytes with fibrofatty replacement produces
    structural ventricular disease and later-stage ventricular dysfunction.
  cell_types:
  - preferred_term: cardiac muscle cell
    term:
      id: CL:0000746
      label: cardiac muscle cell
  - preferred_term: fibroblast of cardiac tissue
    term:
      id: CL:0002548
      label: fibroblast of cardiac tissue
  biological_processes:
  - preferred_term: tissue remodeling
    term:
      id: GO:0048771
      label: tissue remodeling
    modifier: INCREASED
  locations:
  - preferred_term: heart right ventricle
    term:
      id: UBERON:0002080
      label: heart right ventricle
  evidence:
  - reference: PMID:24817548
    reference_title: >-
      Arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy: diagnosis, genetic background, and risk
      management.
    supports: SUPPORT
    evidence_source: HUMAN_CLINICAL
    snippet: >-
      Arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (AC), also known as arrhythmogenic right
      ventricular dysplasia/cardiomyopathy (ARVD/C), is a hereditary disease
      characterised by ventricular arrhythmias, right ventricular and/or left
      ventricular dysfunction, and fibrofatty replacement of cardiomyocytes.
    explanation: >-
      This directly supports fibrofatty replacement as the defining structural
      lesion.
  downstream:
  - target: Right ventricular dilatation
    description: Progressive structural dysfunction leads to right ventricular dilatation.
    causal_link_type: DIRECT
  - target: Congestive heart failure
    description: Advanced ventricular dysfunction progresses to symptomatic heart failure.
    causal_link_type: DIRECT
histopathology:
- name: Fibrous replacement of right ventricular free wall myocardium
  diagnostic: true
  description: >-
    Endomyocardial biopsy can show marked loss of right-ventricular myocytes
    with fibrous replacement of the free wall myocardium.
  finding_term:
    preferred_term: fibrous replacement of right ventricular free wall myocardium
    term:
      id: NCIT:C3044
      label: Fibrosis
  evidence:
  - reference: PMID:24817548
    reference_title: >-
      Arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy: diagnosis, genetic background, and risk
      management.
    supports: SUPPORT
    evidence_source: HUMAN_CLINICAL
    snippet: >-
      Residual myocytes <60 % by morphometric analysis (or <50 % if estimated),
      with fibrous replacement of the RV free wall myocardium in ≥1 sample,
      with or without fatty replacement of tissue on endomyocardial biopsy
    explanation: >-
      This directly supports the characteristic biopsy finding of fibrous right
      ventricular wall replacement in ARVC.
phenotypes:
- category: Cardiovascular
  name: Ventricular tachycardia
  description: >-
    Monomorphic ventricular tachycardia with left bundle branch block
    morphology is a classic presentation.
  phenotype_term:
    preferred_term: Ventricular tachycardia
    term:
      id: HP:0004756
      label: Ventricular tachycardia
  evidence:
  - reference: PMID:24817548
    reference_title: >-
      Arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy: diagnosis, genetic background, and risk
      management.
    supports: SUPPORT
    evidence_source: HUMAN_CLINICAL
    snippet: >-
      Patients with AC typically present between the second and the fourth
      decade of life with palpitations, lightheadedness, or syncope due to
      ventricular ectopy or (monomorphic) ventricular tachycardia (VT) with
      left bundle branch block (LBBB) morphology
    explanation: >-
      This directly supports ventricular tachycardia as a core phenotype.
- category: Cardiovascular
  name: Syncope
  description: >-
    Syncope commonly reflects transient cerebral hypoperfusion from malignant
    ventricular arrhythmia.
  phenotype_term:
    preferred_term: Syncope
    term:
      id: HP:0001279
      label: Syncope
  evidence:
  - reference: PMID:24817548
    reference_title: >-
      Arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy: diagnosis, genetic background, and risk
      management.
    supports: SUPPORT
    evidence_source: HUMAN_CLINICAL
    snippet: >-
      Patients with AC typically present between the second and the fourth
      decade of life with palpitations, lightheadedness, or syncope due to
      ventricular ectopy or (monomorphic) ventricular tachycardia (VT) with
      left bundle branch block (LBBB) morphology
    explanation: >-
      This directly supports syncope as a characteristic presenting symptom.
- category: Cardiovascular
  name: Right ventricular dilatation
  description: >-
    Progressive structural disease produces right ventricular enlargement and
    wall-motion abnormalities.
  phenotype_term:
    preferred_term: Right ventricular dilatation
    term:
      id: HP:0005133
      label: Right ventricular dilatation
- category: Cardiovascular
  name: T-wave inversion
  description: >-
    T-wave inversion in right precordial leads is part of the diagnostic ECG
    phenotype.
  phenotype_term:
    preferred_term: T-wave inversion
    term:
      id: HP:0010872
      label: T-wave inversion
  evidence:
  - reference: PMID:34191271
    reference_title: >-
      Pathogenic variants in plakophilin-2 gene (PKP2) are associated with
      better survival in arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy.
    supports: SUPPORT
    evidence_source: HUMAN_CLINICAL
    snippet: >-
      Patients carrying a PKP2 mutation were younger at diagnosis (p = 0.003),
      more often had negative T waves in V1-V3 (p = 0.01)
    explanation: >-
      This directly supports right-precordial T-wave inversion as part of the
      ARVC ECG phenotype.
- category: Cardiovascular
  name: Sudden cardiac death
  description: >-
    Sudden death may be the first manifestation, including in the concealed
    stage.
  phenotype_term:
    preferred_term: Sudden cardiac death
    term:
      id: HP:0001645
      label: Sudden cardiac death
  evidence:
  - reference: PMID:24817548
    reference_title: >-
      Arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy: diagnosis, genetic background, and risk
      management.
    supports: SUPPORT
    evidence_source: HUMAN_CLINICAL
    snippet: >-
      However, sudden cardiac death (SCD) may be the first manifestation, often
      at young age in the concealed stage of disease.
    explanation: >-
      This directly supports sudden cardiac death as a major disease phenotype.
- category: Cardiovascular
  name: Congestive heart failure
  description: >-
    Later disease stages can progress to clinically significant heart failure.
  phenotype_term:
    preferred_term: Congestive heart failure
    term:
      id: HP:0001635
      label: Congestive heart failure
  evidence:
  - reference: PMID:34191271
    reference_title: >-
      Pathogenic variants in plakophilin-2 gene (PKP2) are associated with
      better survival in arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy.
    supports: SUPPORT
    evidence_source: HUMAN_CLINICAL
    snippet: >-
      Patients carrying a PKP2 mutation were younger at diagnosis (p = 0.003),
      more often had negative T waves in V1-V3 (p = 0.01), had higher left
      ventricular ejection fraction (p = 0.04), and were less likely to present
      symptoms of heart failure (p = 0.01)
    explanation: >-
      This supports heart failure as a clinically relevant phenotype within the
      ARVC spectrum.
biochemical: []
genetic:
- name: PKP2
  gene_term:
    preferred_term: PKP2
    term:
      id: hgnc:9024
      label: PKP2
  association: Common causative gene
  evidence:
  - reference: PMID:34191271
    reference_title: >-
      Pathogenic variants in plakophilin-2 gene (PKP2) are associated with
      better survival in arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy.
    supports: SUPPORT
    evidence_source: HUMAN_CLINICAL
    snippet: Ten variants (5 frameshift, 2 nonsense, 2 splicing, and 1 missense) in PKP2 were found in 28 (50%) cases.
    explanation: >-
      This directly supports PKP2 as the most common established ARVC gene in
      this cohort.
  - reference: CGGV:assertion_6f97b6cd-5225-4076-b67a-2f609908e6fe-2018-03-08T170000.000Z
    reference_title: "PKP2 / arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (Definitive)"
    supports: SUPPORT
    evidence_source: OTHER
    snippet: "PKP2 | HGNC:9024 | arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy | MONDO:0016587 | AD | Definitive"
    explanation: ClinGen classifies the PKP2-arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy gene-disease relationship as definitive with autosomal dominant inheritance.
- name: Desmosomal gene spectrum
  features: >-
    ARVC is genetically heterogeneous, but the principal high-confidence genes
    encode desmosomal proteins.
  evidence:
  - reference: PMID:24817548
    reference_title: >-
      Arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy: diagnosis, genetic background, and risk
      management.
    supports: SUPPORT
    evidence_source: HUMAN_CLINICAL
    snippet: >-
      In 2000, the seminal discovery of mutations in the plakoglobin (JUP) gene
      as the basis of Naxos disease, an autosomal recessive cardio-cutaneous
      syndrome with AC, directed the search for the genetic substrate to other
      genes encoding desmosomal proteins
    explanation: >-
      This supports disease-level genetic heterogeneity centered on desmosomal
      genes.
- name: CDH2
  gene_term:
    preferred_term: CDH2
    term:
      id: hgnc:1759
      label: CDH2
  association: Pathogenic Variants
  evidence:
  - reference: CGGV:assertion_c7a03805-bf73-4d2d-9756-c666c67be119-2018-07-13T160000.000Z
    reference_title: "CDH2 / arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (Limited)"
    supports: SUPPORT
    evidence_source: OTHER
    snippet: "CDH2 | HGNC:1759 | arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy | MONDO:0016587 | AD | Limited"
    explanation: ClinGen classifies the CDH2-arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy gene-disease relationship as limited with autosomal dominant inheritance.
- name: CTNNA3
  gene_term:
    preferred_term: CTNNA3
    term:
      id: hgnc:2511
      label: CTNNA3
  association: Pathogenic Variants
  evidence:
  - reference: CGGV:assertion_0f1dd946-f2bb-496f-8fea-3dea303e2e76-2019-08-06T160000.000Z
    reference_title: "CTNNA3 / arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (Limited)"
    supports: SUPPORT
    evidence_source: OTHER
    snippet: "CTNNA3 | HGNC:2511 | arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy | MONDO:0016587 | AD | Limited"
    explanation: ClinGen classifies the CTNNA3-arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy gene-disease relationship as limited with autosomal dominant inheritance.
- name: DES
  gene_term:
    preferred_term: DES
    term:
      id: hgnc:2770
      label: DES
  association: Pathogenic Variants
  evidence:
  - reference: CGGV:assertion_aef9a60b-a94f-4318-824e-e748c5c20ecb-2018-09-11T160000.000Z
    reference_title: "DES / arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (Moderate)"
    supports: SUPPORT
    evidence_source: OTHER
    snippet: "DES | HGNC:2770 | arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy | MONDO:0016587 | AD | Moderate"
    explanation: ClinGen classifies the DES-arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy gene-disease relationship as moderate with autosomal dominant inheritance.
- name: DSG2
  gene_term:
    preferred_term: DSG2
    term:
      id: hgnc:3049
      label: DSG2
  association: Pathogenic Variants
  evidence:
  - reference: CGGV:assertion_f679611d-6e25-45f9-aac3-4a8ad37b1592-2018-09-14T160000.000Z
    reference_title: "DSG2 / arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (Definitive)"
    supports: SUPPORT
    evidence_source: OTHER
    snippet: "DSG2 | HGNC:3049 | arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy | MONDO:0016587 | AD | Definitive"
    explanation: ClinGen classifies the DSG2-arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy gene-disease relationship as definitive with autosomal dominant inheritance.
- name: LMNA
  gene_term:
    preferred_term: LMNA
    term:
      id: hgnc:6636
      label: LMNA
  association: Pathogenic Variants
  evidence:
  - reference: CGGV:assertion_ef503af9-9d10-4714-848b-34cfa0049c23-2019-09-06T160000.000Z
    reference_title: "LMNA / arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (Limited)"
    supports: SUPPORT
    evidence_source: OTHER
    snippet: "LMNA | HGNC:6636 | arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy | MONDO:0016587 | AD | Limited"
    explanation: ClinGen classifies the LMNA-arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy gene-disease relationship as limited with autosomal dominant inheritance.
- name: MYBPC3
  gene_term:
    preferred_term: MYBPC3
    term:
      id: hgnc:7551
      label: MYBPC3
  association: Pathogenic Variants
  evidence:
  - reference: CGGV:assertion_0639d989-8415-425c-ab89-e8a3a0b6ea49-2019-08-06T160000.000Z
    reference_title: "MYBPC3 / arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (Limited)"
    supports: SUPPORT
    evidence_source: OTHER
    snippet: "MYBPC3 | HGNC:7551 | arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy | MONDO:0016587 | AD | Limited"
    explanation: ClinGen classifies the MYBPC3-arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy gene-disease relationship as limited with autosomal dominant inheritance.
- name: MYH7
  gene_term:
    preferred_term: MYH7
    term:
      id: hgnc:7577
      label: MYH7
  association: Pathogenic Variants
  evidence:
  - reference: CGGV:assertion_0265f091-a67d-4521-b6bd-5a110bd5356f-2019-08-06T160000.000Z
    reference_title: "MYH7 / arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (Limited)"
    supports: SUPPORT
    evidence_source: OTHER
    snippet: "MYH7 | HGNC:7577 | arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy | MONDO:0016587 | AD | Limited"
    explanation: ClinGen classifies the MYH7-arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy gene-disease relationship as limited with autosomal dominant inheritance.
- name: MYL3
  gene_term:
    preferred_term: MYL3
    term:
      id: hgnc:7584
      label: MYL3
  association: Pathogenic Variants
  evidence:
  - reference: CGGV:assertion_b1d5e9bf-ca57-445a-a432-27fe221484bf-2019-09-13T160000.000Z
    reference_title: "MYL3 / arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (Limited)"
    supports: SUPPORT
    evidence_source: OTHER
    snippet: "MYL3 | HGNC:7584 | arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy | MONDO:0016587 | AD | Limited"
    explanation: ClinGen classifies the MYL3-arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy gene-disease relationship as limited with autosomal dominant inheritance.
- name: PLN
  gene_term:
    preferred_term: PLN
    term:
      id: hgnc:9080
      label: PLN
  association: Pathogenic Variants
  evidence:
  - reference: CGGV:assertion_13027de9-c84a-4968-936b-6356265193a6-2020-12-17T213224.631Z
    reference_title: "PLN / arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (Moderate)"
    supports: SUPPORT
    evidence_source: OTHER
    snippet: "PLN | HGNC:9080 | arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy | MONDO:0016587 | AD | Moderate"
    explanation: ClinGen classifies the PLN-arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy gene-disease relationship as moderate with autosomal dominant inheritance.
- name: SCN5A
  gene_term:
    preferred_term: SCN5A
    term:
      id: hgnc:10593
      label: SCN5A
  association: Pathogenic Variants
  evidence:
  - reference: CGGV:assertion_3c1cdce2-c8de-442d-b0c4-5936919b310f-2019-06-06T160000.000Z
    reference_title: "SCN5A / arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (Limited)"
    supports: SUPPORT
    evidence_source: OTHER
    snippet: "SCN5A | HGNC:10593 | arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy | MONDO:0016587 | AD | Limited"
    explanation: ClinGen classifies the SCN5A-arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy gene-disease relationship as limited with autosomal dominant inheritance.
- name: TGFB3
  gene_term:
    preferred_term: TGFB3
    term:
      id: hgnc:11769
      label: TGFB3
  association: Pathogenic Variants
  evidence:
  - reference: CGGV:assertion_36ed9be9-2854-49e5-801c-a8fd65fec98e-2019-08-16T160000.000Z
    reference_title: "TGFB3 / arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (Limited)"
    supports: SUPPORT
    evidence_source: OTHER
    snippet: "TGFB3 | HGNC:11769 | arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy | MONDO:0016587 | AD | Limited"
    explanation: ClinGen classifies the TGFB3-arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy gene-disease relationship as limited with autosomal dominant inheritance.
- name: TJP1
  gene_term:
    preferred_term: TJP1
    term:
      id: hgnc:11827
      label: TJP1
  association: Pathogenic Variants
  evidence:
  - reference: CGGV:assertion_435951df-5a0d-4596-b112-ccd6d6204409-2019-02-08T170000.000Z
    reference_title: "TJP1 / arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (Limited)"
    supports: SUPPORT
    evidence_source: OTHER
    snippet: "TJP1 | HGNC:11827 | arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy | MONDO:0016587 | AD | Limited"
    explanation: ClinGen classifies the TJP1-arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy gene-disease relationship as limited with autosomal dominant inheritance.
environmental:
- name: Competitive and endurance sports
  description: >-
    Vigorous exercise is an important disease modifier that accelerates
    progression and increases arrhythmic risk.
  effect: EXACERBATES
  evidence:
  - reference: PMID:24817548
    reference_title: >-
      Arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy: diagnosis, genetic background, and risk
      management.
    supports: SUPPORT
    evidence_source: HUMAN_CLINICAL
    snippet: >-
      Furthermore, patients with AC and also all pathogenic mutation carriers
      should be advised against practising competitive and endurance sports.
    explanation: >-
      This directly supports strenuous exercise as a clinically important
      exacerbating exposure.
treatments:
- name: Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator placement
  treatment_term:
    preferred_term: implantable cardioverter-defibrillator placement
    term:
      id: MAXO:0000474
      label: implantable cardioverter-defibrillator placement
  description: >-
    ICD implantation is used to prevent sudden cardiac death in symptomatic or
    otherwise high-risk patients.
  evidence:
  - reference: PMID:24817548
    reference_title: >-
      Arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy: diagnosis, genetic background, and risk
      management.
    supports: SUPPORT
    evidence_source: HUMAN_CLINICAL
    snippet: >-
      Therapeutic options in symptomatic patients include antiarrhythmic drugs,
      catheter ablation, and ICD implantation.
    explanation: >-
      This directly supports ICD implantation as a standard treatment option.
- name: Antiarrhythmic pharmacotherapy
  treatment_term:
    preferred_term: Pharmacotherapy
    term:
      id: NCIT:C15986
      label: Pharmacotherapy
    therapeutic_agent:
    - preferred_term: sotalol
      term:
        id: CHEBI:63622
        label: sotalol
    - preferred_term: amiodarone
      term:
        id: CHEBI:2663
        label: amiodarone
    - preferred_term: flecainide
      term:
        id: CHEBI:75984
        label: flecainide
  description: >-
    Antiarrhythmic drugs are used for symptomatic arrhythmia control.
  evidence:
  - reference: PMID:24817548
    reference_title: >-
      Arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy: diagnosis, genetic background, and risk
      management.
    supports: SUPPORT
    evidence_source: HUMAN_CLINICAL
    snippet: >-
      Since ventricular arrhythmias and cardiac arrest occur frequently during
      or after physical exercise or may be triggered by catecholamines,
      non-class III antiadrenergic beta-blockers are recommended. In the
      absence of adequate antiarrhythmic response, sotalol in an appropriate
      dose is the drug of first choice. Alternatively, amiodarone and
      flecainide have been reported to be useful
    explanation: >-
      This directly supports antiarrhythmic pharmacotherapy and names the main
      drug options used in symptomatic ARVC.
- name: Catheter ablation
  treatment_term:
    preferred_term: cardiac radiofrequency ablation
    term:
      id: NCIT:C170884
      label: Cardiac Radiofrequency Ablation
  description: >-
    Catheter ablation is used for recurrent ventricular tachycardia in selected
    patients.
  evidence:
  - reference: PMID:24817548
    reference_title: >-
      Arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy: diagnosis, genetic background, and risk
      management.
    supports: SUPPORT
    evidence_source: HUMAN_CLINICAL
    snippet: >-
      Catheter ablation is an alternative in patients who are refractory to
      drug treatment and have frequent VT episodes (with a predominantly single
      morphology)
    explanation: >-
      This directly supports catheter ablation as a treatment option for
      recurrent ventricular tachycardia in ARVC.
diagnosis:
- name: Task Force Criteria assessment
  diagnosis_term:
    preferred_term: clinical assessment
    term:
      id: MAXO:0000487
      label: clinical assessment
  description: >-
    Diagnosis is based on international Task Force Criteria integrating
    imaging, ECG, arrhythmia, tissue, and family-history findings.
  results: Fulfilment of Task Force Criteria supports the diagnosis of ARVC.
  evidence:
  - reference: PMID:24817548
    reference_title: >-
      Arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy: diagnosis, genetic background, and risk
      management.
    supports: SUPPORT
    evidence_source: HUMAN_CLINICAL
    snippet: >-
      Clinical diagnosis is made according to international consensus-based
      Task Force Criteria.
    explanation: >-
      This directly supports Task Force Criteria-based clinical diagnosis.
- name: Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging
  diagnosis_term:
    preferred_term: clinical assessment
    term:
      id: MAXO:0000487
      label: clinical assessment
  description: >-
    Cardiac MRI is used to evaluate right ventricular structure, function, and
    tissue abnormalities.
  results: Structural right ventricular abnormalities support the diagnosis.
  evidence:
  - reference: PMID:24817548
    reference_title: >-
      Arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy: diagnosis, genetic background, and risk
      management.
    supports: SUPPORT
    evidence_source: HUMAN_CLINICAL
    snippet: >-
      Specific evaluations are recommended in all patients suspected of AC:
      detailed history and family history, physical examination, 12-lead ECG
      (while off medications), signal averaged ECG, 24-hour Holter monitoring,
      maximal exercise testing, two-dimensional echocardiography with
      quantitative wall motion analysis, and more detailed imaging by cardiac
      magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with delayed enhancement analysis.
    explanation: >-
      This directly supports cardiac MRI as part of the standard diagnostic
      workup.
- name: Genetic testing
  diagnosis_term:
    preferred_term: genetic testing
    term:
      id: MAXO:0000127
      label: genetic testing
  description: >-
    Genetic testing helps confirm a familial substrate and identify at-risk
    relatives.
  results: Identification of a pathogenic ARVC-associated variant supports the diagnosis.
  evidence:
  - reference: PMID:24817548
    reference_title: >-
      Arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy: diagnosis, genetic background, and risk
      management.
    supports: SUPPORT
    evidence_source: HUMAN_CLINICAL
    snippet: >-
      The TFC include six different categories: 1) global and/or regional
      dysfunction and structural RV alterations, 2) tissue characterisation, 3)
      depolarisation abnormalities, 4) repolarisation abnormalities, 5)
      arrhythmias, and 6) family history and genetics.
    explanation: >-
      This directly supports genetics as part of formal ARVC diagnostic
      assessment.
differential_diagnoses:
- name: Idiopathic right ventricular outflow tract ventricular tachycardia
  description: >-
    Idiopathic RVOT ventricular tachycardia can mimic ARVC arrhythmias but
    lacks the familial structural cardiomyopathy substrate.
  notes: >-
    This differential is clinical and important even though a specific MONDO
    disease term is not used here.
  evidence:
  - reference: PMID:24817548
    reference_title: >-
      Arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy: diagnosis, genetic background, and risk
      management.
    supports: SUPPORT
    evidence_source: HUMAN_CLINICAL
    snippet: >-
      In particular, differentiation from idiopathic VT originating from the RV
      outflow tract (RVOT) can be challenging.
    explanation: >-
      This directly supports idiopathic RVOT VT as an important differential
      diagnosis.
- name: Cardiac sarcoidosis
  disease_term:
    preferred_term: cardiac sarcoidosis
    term:
      id: MONDO:0001707
      label: cardiac sarcoidosis
  description: >-
    Cardiac sarcoidosis can mimic ARVC clinically, on imaging, and even on some
    molecular markers.
  evidence:
  - reference: PMID:24817548
    reference_title: >-
      Arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy: diagnosis, genetic background, and risk
      management.
    supports: SUPPORT
    evidence_source: HUMAN_CLINICAL
    snippet: Another disease mimicking AC is cardiac sarcoidosis
    explanation: >-
      This directly supports cardiac sarcoidosis as a key differential.
- name: Dilated cardiomyopathy
  disease_term:
    preferred_term: dilated cardiomyopathy
    term:
      id: MONDO:0005021
      label: dilated cardiomyopathy
  description: >-
    Advanced ARVC can mimic dilated cardiomyopathy, but arrhythmia-first
    presentation should prompt ARVC consideration.
  evidence:
  - reference: PMID:24817548
    reference_title: >-
      Arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy: diagnosis, genetic background, and risk
      management.
    supports: SUPPORT
    evidence_source: HUMAN_CLINICAL
    snippet: AC may also mimic dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), especially in the more advanced stages of disease.
    explanation: >-
      This directly supports dilated cardiomyopathy as a differential diagnosis.
clinical_trials: []
datasets: []
notes: >-
  Asta deep research was completed for this disorder. Final curation
  prioritized disease-root mechanisms and management supported by disorder-
  specific ARVC reviews already present in the local cache.
📚

References & Deep Research

Deep Research

1
Asta
Asta Literature Retrieval: Pathophysiology and clinical mechanisms of arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy. Core disease mechanisms,...
Asta Scientific Corpus Retrieval 20 citations 2026-04-14T16:27:15.581565

Asta Literature Retrieval: Pathophysiology and clinical mechanisms of arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy. Core disease mechanisms,...

This report is retrieval-only and is generated directly from Asta results.

  • Papers retrieved: 20
  • Snippets retrieved: 20

Relevant Papers

[1] Special issue Heidelberg Heart II: Abstracts of oral and poster presentations

  • Authors: W. Franke
  • Year: 2012
  • Venue: Cell and Tissue Research
  • URL: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/969e98278c5ef7588af320ca0f980b09522c21e7
  • DOI: 10.1007/s00441-012-1412-x
  • PMCID: 3349853
  • Citations: 1
  • Summary: Interference with the architectural roles of desmosome molecules has been assumed to make an important contribution to tissue responses that lead to disease pathogenesis, functions that transcend their well-established roles in adhesion and IF-anchorage are emerging.
  • Evidence snippets:
  • Snippet 1 (score: 0.691) > A 16 -Disease mechanisms in arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy: immunohistochemistry and beyond Jeffrey E. Saffitz Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center/Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA jsaffitz@bidmc.harvard.edu Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) is a primary myocardial disorder characterized by an especially high incidence of ventricular arrhythmias and sudden death. The identification of desmosomal gene mutations in ∼50 % of patients has led to the idea that ARVC is a disease of abnormal cell-cell adhesion. However, recent insights gained largely from studies of the human disease suggest a greater degree of complexity. These insights include observations that: (1) plakoglobin (γ-catenin) is consistently redistributed from desmosomes to intracellular/nuclear sites in all forms of ARVC regardless of the underlying mutation, (2) ARVC patients have elevated circulating cytokine levels and myocardial production of cytokines, and (3) disease flares often follow strenuous exercise in ARVC patients. Objective: to define the genetic and mechanistic basis of arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy. Background: arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy, previously known as arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia (ARVD) or arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC), is characterized by myocardial fibrofatty replacement, ventricular dysfunction, and arrhythmias associated with sudden death. Autosomal dominant inheritance is most common, and reduced penetrance is the rule of thumb, but the underlying basis of low penetrance is poorly understood. The causative genes identified to date are generally associated with desmosome function, the "final common pathway" of this disease. We previously described compound and digenic heterozygosity as a feature of this disorder which plays a role in the development of the clinical phenotype and the severity of disease.

[2] Prediction of Ventricular Arrhythmias in Patients at Risk of Sudden Cardiac Death

  • Authors: K. Haugaa, J. Amlie, T. Edvardsen
  • Year: 2011
  • Venue: Unknown venue
  • URL: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/366318c37e6eff3d2740558b56fc30d650950fd1
  • DOI: 10.5772/20670
  • Summary: In this report, a novel echocardiographic method will be presented in order to evaluate the cardiac contractility pattern in patients at increased risk of life-threatening arrhythmias.
  • Evidence snippets:
  • Snippet 1 (score: 0.652) > Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy is an inheritable, chronic and progressive cardiomyopathy and is one of the leading causes of sudden unexpected cardiac death in previously healthy young individuals (Sen-Chowdhry, 2010a; Thiene, 1988). Prevalence has been estimated to be at least 1 in 1000 (Sen-Chowdhry, 2010a). Recent molecular genetic reports have revealed arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy as mainly a desmosomal disease (Xu, 2010). Mutations in one of the 5 desmosomal or 3 extra desmosomal genes so far identified, lead to progressive loss of myocytes, followed by fibro-fatty replacement. Penetrance is age and gender dependent and the progressive clinical picture is highly variable (Dalal, 2006). Four clinical stages have been documented: An early concealed phase, overt electrical disorder, isolated right heart failure (Fig 4a), and biventricular pump failure (Fig 4b) (Basso, 1996;Sen-Chowdhry, 2007;Sen-Chowdhry, 2010a). Importantly, life-threatening arrhythmias can occur with only discrete or even absent myocardial structural changes (Senwww.intechopen.com Chowdhry, 2010b). Risk stratification of ventricular arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death is therefore challenging. Mechanisms of arrhythmias in early stages of arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy are probably due to dysfunction of desmosomal proteins and disturbed cell to cell coupling (Saffitz, 2009). In later stages of arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy when structural abnormalities in the myocardium have developed, reentrant ventricular arrhythmias can occur in tissue with fibro fatty replacement. Therefore, electrical conduction delay with consequent electrical dispersion has been suggested as an important mechanism of ventricular arrhythmias (Amlie, 1997;Turrini, 2001). In a recent study we investigated if arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy patients had cardiac contraction heterogeneity assessed as mechanical dispersion and

[3] Update on Genes Associated with Arrhythmogenic Cardiomyopathy

  • Authors: M. Vallverdú-Prats, M. Alcalde, G. Sarquella-Brugada, S. César, E. Arbelo et al.
  • Year: 2020
  • Venue: Cardiomyopathy - Disease of the Heart Muscle [Working Title]
  • URL: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/1ffe68704d6dcbf0977f3587844705d96df69259
  • DOI: 10.5772/INTECHOPEN.95332
  • Citations: 1
  • Summary: Recent advances in the knowledge regarding the genetic basis of arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy are focused on, suggesting the existence of unknown genes as well as other genome alterations not yet discovered.
  • Evidence snippets:
  • Snippet 1 (score: 0.623) > Arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy is an inherited rare cardiac disease characterized by progressive replacement of myocardium by fibrofatty tissue, leading to ventricular arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death. Structural abnormalities mainly occur in the right ventricle, but it is well recognized that also sole left ventricular involvement and even biventricular substitution is common, particularly in advanced stages of the disease. Several molecular mechanisms are involved in the phenotype of ACM such as myocardial inflammation and signaling pathways that cause fibrosis and adipogenesis. Today, most of these mechanisms are not completely understood. Task Force Criteria for the diagnosis of arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy include several clinical tests and also genetic data. Despite progressive improvement in diagnosis, it is difficult to obtain conclusive risk stratification in families suffering from arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy. Hundreds of rare alterations are reported in mainly genes encoding desmosomal proteins, but there are also other causal genes with several functions within the cardiac tissue. A comprehensive genetic analysis may identify the potential genetic cause of the disease in nearly 60% of cases. Genetic testing is especially useful in families with at least one affected member that carries a potential deleterious alteration because it allows early identification and adoption of therapeutic measures among relatives at risk of malignant arrhythmias. Currently, one of main challenges is the genetic interpretation and clinical translation of amount of genetic data generated by new genetic technologies. > Update on Genes Associated with Arrhythmogenic Cardiomyopathy DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.95332

[4] Focus on arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy

  • Authors: G. Sinagra, C. Cappelletto, A. de Luca, S. Romani, A. Paldino et al.
  • Year: 2020
  • Venue: European Heart Journal Supplements : Journal of the European Society of Cardiology
  • URL: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/e4392c990ad29851d1c76e19a03845d6db0c611a
  • DOI: 10.1093/eurheartj/suaa152
  • PMID: 33239987
  • PMCID: 7673615
  • Citations: 7
  • Summary: The main goal in the management of patients is the prevention of sudden cardiac death, where implantable cardioverter-defibrillator is the only effective therapeutic strategy.
  • Evidence snippets:
  • Snippet 1 (score: 0.615) > Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy (ARVC) is a primary heart muscle disease, characterized by progressive epi-endocardial replacement of cardiomyocytes with fibro-adipose tissue. Clinically, ARVC is characterized by ventricular arrhythmias, heart failure (HF), and sudden cardiac death (SCD). 1 The first descriptions of the disease were reported in the '70 s of the last century but only in 1995 ARVC become part of the WHO/IFSC (World Health Organization/International Society and Federation of Cardiology) Classification of Cardiomyopathies. > Originally the disease was known as 'Arrhythmogenic Dysplasia of the Right Ventricle' and was considered as a developmental defect of the right ventricle (RV) myocardium. > Since then, significant progress has been made in knowledge of pathogenetic mechanisms, natural history and clinical management of the disease. > Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy is caused by a genetic defects, mainly affecting cell junction proteins (desmosomes). Structural alterations may be absent or mild in the initial stages of the disease, confined to a limited regions of the RV, the so called 'triangle of dysplasia'. With the progression of the disease also the left ventricle (LV) may be involved. > ][3][4][5][6] Growing evidences of genotypic overlap between ARVC and 'arrhythmic' Dilated Cardiomyopathy (caused by mutations of desmosomal genes, filamin or lamin) led to the definition of 'Arrhythmogenic Cardiomyopathy' (AC). 3,5,6 rrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy includes a heterogeneous spectrum of phenotypes, ranging from isolated involvement of the RV to exclusive involvement of the LV, sharing a common genetic basis and clinically characterized by electrical instability, that could lead to atrial or ventricular tachyarrhythmias and bradyarrhythmias.

[5] Arrhythmogenic Cardiomyopathy: Genetic Pathology, Inflammatory Syndrome, or both?

  • Authors: Héctor O. Rodríguez
  • Year: 2017
  • Venue: EMJ Cardiology
  • URL: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/a13b5f1adff7a0f90200a5d30040b7263a5f2f9b
  • DOI: 10.33590/emjcardiol/10314768
  • Summary: Findings taken from other sudden death-causing cardiomyopathies allow us to propose proinflammatory cytokines, such as tumour necrosis factor and interleukins 17 and 2, as possible serological markers of sudden death and/or ventricular dysfunction in order to conduct further research and identify diagnosis/prognosis markers for ACM.
  • Evidence snippets:
  • Snippet 1 (score: 0.596) > Arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (ACM), previously called arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy or arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia, was classically defined as a fibro-fatty substitution of ventricular myocardium. Recent advances have given a more complete view of its pathophysiology, including genetic and electrophysiological criteria to classify the disease. Therefore, we can consider ACM as a ventricular arrhythmogenic syndrome with a structural substrate associated to intercalated disc protein mutations. The possible role of ionic disturbances in lethal arrhythmias make it challenging to specify a precise definition and adopt a rational approach to prevention and therapeutics and this should be acknowledged. > Initially, ACM was reported mainly in the right ventricle, 1 but may also implicate the left ventricle, as well as both ventricles simultaneously. ACM principally affects young men and can cause sudden death by ventricular arrhythmias, 2 especially in athletes, which is not always associated to structural changes in ventricular walls. As a result of these variables, we can classify ACM into ionic and non-ionic-associated origin by the presence or absence of structural ventricular changes. In this review, we explore the possible role of inflammation as a concomitant cause in ACM, a mechanism poorly explored in the literature and one that possibly should be included in further classifications. > ACM was first described early in the 1980s. Initially, it was reported as hypokinetic cardiomyopathy associated with non-ischaemic tachycardia. 1 Progressively, ACM was described as being in association with lethal arrhythmias, 3 functional myocardial involvement, 4 and biventricular affectation. 5,6 0][11][12][13] In the next sections, we briefly describe the most recent advances in the comprehension of the pathophysiology of ACM.

[6] Molecular Mechanisms of Inherited Arrhythmias

  • Authors: C. Wolf, C. Berul
  • Year: 2008
  • Venue: Current Genomics
  • URL: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/8dc574fc997d6e863ac851b4a75d122de6d9aa61
  • DOI: 10.2174/138920208784340768
  • PMID: 19440513
  • PMCID: 2679644
  • Citations: 26
  • Influential citations: 3
  • Summary: The molecular basis of inherited arrhythmias in structurally normal and altered hearts is summarized, which helps explain the molecular and functional mechanisms of long QT syndrome, Brugada syndrome, catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia, and other electrical myopathies.
  • Evidence snippets:
  • Snippet 1 (score: 0.592) > Inherited arrhythmias can be life threatening, and are major cause of mortality and morbidity in developed nations. Identification of molecular pathways that increase susceptibility to arrhythmia is necessary to prevent disease occurrence, to improve current therapies and to target new drug development. In recent years, the discovery of pathogenic mutations in inherited arrhythmia syndromes has provided novel insights for the understanding and treatment of diseases predisposing to sudden cardiac death. In patients with the long QT syndromes (LQTS), genotype-phenotype relation studies [1] and genetic testing have influenced patient risk stratification [2] and refined treatment strategies [3]. > Arrhythmia mechanisms include abnormal automaticity, triggered activity, and re-entrant excitation. Each of these mechanisms can occur in any type of myocardial disease or in inherited cardiac arrhythmias. The current article focuses on molecular mechanisms of arrhythmias in the structurally abnormal and normal heart. Hypertrophic and dilated cardiomyopathies, as well as arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia/cardiomyopathy are common substrates of inherited arrhythmias in the structurally abnormal heart. Genetic diseases causing arrhythmias in the structural normal heart, also called electrical myopathies, include the long QT syndromes, Brugada syndrome, catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (CPVT), and non-defined familiar idiopathic ventricular fibrillation. Most, but not all of these disorders are caused by mutations in genes encoding cardiac ion-channel proteins. Among family members carrying an identical mutation in a single gene, remarkable phenotypic variability and expressivity may be observed, suggesting both environmental [4] and genetic modifiers [5].

[7] Arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy: diagnosis, genetic background, and risk management

  • Authors: J. Groeneweg, J. Groeneweg, J. Heijden, J. Heijden, D. Dooijes et al.
  • Year: 2014
  • Venue: Netherlands Heart Journal
  • URL: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/7b6e9177653c6930262a978a3f44f7c979cfcce8
  • DOI: 10.1007/s12471-014-0563-7
  • PMID: 24817548
  • PMCID: 4099433
  • Citations: 28
  • Influential citations: 3
  • Summary: Therapeutic options in symptomatic patients include antiarrhythmic drugs, catheter ablation, and ICD implantation, and patients with AC and also all pathogenic mutation carriers should be advised against practising competitive and endurance sports.
  • Evidence snippets:
  • Snippet 1 (score: 0.591) > Arrhythmogenic right ventricular (RV) dysplasia/ cardiomyopathy (ARVD/C) is histopathologically characterised by progressive fibrofatty replacement of cardiomyocytes, primarily in the right ventricle [1][2][3]. However, histopathologically and functionally the left ventricle is affected in many cases and both ventricles are similarly affected by desmosomal and gap junctional protein redistribution [4,5]. Because of these observations, at present arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (AC) is the preferred terminology [6]. AC can be defined as a structural myocardial disease preceded by ventricular arrhythmias. Typical ARVD/C with predominant RV abnormalities can be considered a large and important subcategory of AC. Clinical diagnosis is made according to international consensus-based Task Force Criteria [7,8]. > The first series of ARVD/C patients was published in 1982 [1]. It was described as a developmental disease of the RV musculature, hence the terminology 'dysplasia'. In the past 25 years, increased insight into the development of the disease as well as the discovery of pathogenic gene mutations involved led to the current understanding that AC is a genetically determined cardiomyopathy. The molecular genetic substrate for the disease is mainly acknowledged in genes encoding desmosomal adhesion proteins in the intercalated disk [9][10][11][12][13][14]. > This review provides an overview of AC, from phenotypic and genetic features of the disease, to diagnosis, risk stratification and treatment options.

[8] Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy: diverse substrate characteristics and ablation outcome.

  • Authors: W. Cheng, F. Chung, Yenn‐Jiang Lin, L. Lo, S. Chang et al.
  • Year: 2021
  • Venue: Reviews in cardiovascular medicine
  • URL: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/21563d7592478c853ce2ce3c54165855ba02fabf
  • DOI: 10.31083/j.rcm2204136
  • PMID: 34957771
  • Citations: 7
  • Summary: A better understanding of the pathogenesis, underlying arrhythmogenic substrates, and putative VT isthmus in ARVC contributes to a significant improvement in ablation outcomes through comprehensive endocardial and epicardial approaches.
  • Evidence snippets:
  • Snippet 1 (score: 0.590) > Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) is an inherited cardiomyopathy caused by defective desmosomal proteins. The typical histopathological finding of ARVC is characterized by progressive fibrofatty infiltration of the right ventricle due to the dysfunction of cellular adhesion molecules, thus, developing arrhythmogenic substrates responsible for the clinical manifestation of ventricular tachycardia/fibrillation (VT/VF). Current guidelines recommend implantable cardiac defibrillator (ICD) implantation to prevent sudden cardiac death (SCD) in ARVC, especially for those experiencing VT/VF or aborted SCD, while antiarrhythmic drugs, despite their modest effectiveness and several undesirable adverse effects, are frequently used for those experiencing episodes of ICD interventions. Given the advances in mapping and ablation technologies, catheter ablation has been implemented to eliminate drug-refractory VT in ARVC. A better understanding of the pathogenesis, underlying arrhythmogenic substrates, and putative VT isthmus in ARVC contributes to a significant improvement in ablation outcomes through comprehensive endocardial and epicardial approaches. Regardless of ablation strategies, there is a diversity of arrhythmogenic substrates in ARVC, which could partly explain the nonuniform ablation outcome and long-term recurrences and reflect the role of potential factors in the modification of disease progression and triggering of arrhythmic events.

[9] Distinct Myocardial Transcriptomic Profiles of Cardiomyopathies Stratified by the Mutant Genes

  • Authors: K. Sielemann, Z. Elbeck, A. Gärtner, A. Brodehl, C. Stanasiuk et al.
  • Year: 2020
  • Venue: Genes
  • URL: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/9f8ceb185d87f8def9e3c9dc016922d53a936b4a
  • DOI: 10.3390/genes11121430
  • PMID: 33260757
  • PMCID: 7768427
  • Citations: 10
  • Summary: Genotype-specific differences in regulated pathways, Gene Ontology (GO) terms as well as gene groups like secreted or regulatory proteins and potential candidate drug targets revealing specific molecular pathomechanisms for the four subtypes of genetic cardiomyopathies are identified.
  • Evidence snippets:
  • Snippet 1 (score: 0.589) > TTNtv are associated with incomplete penetrance and late onset heart failure, whereas patients with i.e., pathogenic RBM20 or LMNA mutations are affected by comparably early cardiomyopathies with incomplete penetrance [3]. Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) is most frequently associated with defects in the desmosome [10]. The right ventricle is mainly affected, but with ongoing disease, the left ventricle is significantly affected as well [12]. Left ventricular forms of arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (ACM), which is a broader description of ARVC, are almost missing in the 2010 update diagnostic criteria, which are therefore not entirely specific for the disease [13,14]. However, due to advances in the clinical, pathological and genetic architecture of ARVC [14], left ventricular involvement and left-dominant or biventricular subtypes are now increasingly recognized. Further, genotype-phenotype correlation studies have recently identified clinical forms of ARVC associated with early dominant left ventricular involvement, which may parallel or even exceed the severity of right ventricular involvement [13,15,16]. The introduction of the term ACM was therefore recently proposed by the Heart Rhythm Society/European Heart Rhythm Association (HRS/EHRA) [17] to embrace the different pathologies of the disease [14]. However, there is still a lack of diagnostic and prognostic data and of the genetic basis and pathogenesis of ACM [18]. In our study, we therefore included ACM cases and compared this cardiomyopathy to other forms based on their genotypes. Mutations in the desmosomal genes cause ARVC but other genes like e.g., FLNC [19] can be affected as well [3]. However, the most frequent affected gene is PKP2 (11-51%) [5] encoding the desmosomal plaque protein plakophilin 2. This protein mediates the molecular connection of the desmosomal cadherins with the cytolinker protein desmoplakin.

[10] Blockade of the Adenosine 2A Receptor Mitigates the Cardiomyopathy Induced by Loss of Plakophilin-2 Expression

  • Authors: M. Cerrone, C. J. V. van Opbergen, K. Malkani, N. Irrera, Mingliang Zhang et al.
  • Year: 2018
  • Venue: Frontiers in Physiology
  • URL: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/8535f5196dd6979a590543055872e433646d94c1
  • DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2018.01750
  • PMID: 30568602
  • PMCID: 6290386
  • Citations: 11
  • Summary: Paracrine adenosine 2A receptor activation contributes to the progression of fibrosis and impaired cardiac function in animals deficient in PKP2.
  • Evidence snippets:
  • Snippet 1 (score: 0.583) > Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC, indicated also as "arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy, ACM" or "arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia, ARVD") is an inherited disease characterized by fibrofatty infiltration of right ventricular (RV) predominance, ventricular arrhythmias and high propensity for sudden death in the young (Basso et al., 2009). Cardiac arrest is often associated with exercise, and it is the first disease manifestation in a high proportion of probands. (Basso et al., 2009;Groeneweg et al., 2015) Most often the disease begins with a subclinical, concealed stage, followed by overt stages of RV predominance (though LV is often involved) then biventricular dilated cardiomyopathy and failure. (Basso et al., 2009;Groeneweg et al., 2015) The disease can progress to end-stage heart failure and in the absence of a heart transplant, death. At present, no medical treatment exists to prevent or delay the progression of the disease. > Familial ARVC is most commonly consequent to mutations in the gene coding for Plakophilin-2 (PKP2; Groeneweg et al., 2015), a protein classically defined as a component of the desmosome, though also known to participate in other cellular functions. The relation between PKP2 on one hand, and the structural disease that results from its absence or altered sequence, on the other, remains a matter of investigation. Previous studies on the molecular mechanisms leading to fibro-adiposis in ARVC have proposed that activation of the Hippo and Wnt pathways are the causative mechanisms of the structural disease (Garcia-Gras et al., 2006;Chen et al., 2014). Recently, Dubash et al. (2016) demonstrated an additional route whereby loss of PKP2 expression causes an increase in the expression of TGF-beta1, and activation of the p38-MAPK-dependent pro-fibrotic program.

[11] The Challenges of Diagnosis and Treatment of Arrhythmogenic Cardiomyopathy: Are We there yet?

  • Authors: A. Spadotto, D. Morabito, A. Carecci, G. Massaro, G. Statuto et al.
  • Year: 2022
  • Venue: Reviews in Cardiovascular Medicine
  • URL: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/c49b90d8007f1358bc50f48696245a86fda4560b
  • DOI: 10.31083/j.rcm2308283
  • PMID: 39076647
  • PMCID: 11266951
  • Citations: 6
  • Summary: Background: we sought to review the evolution in the diagnosis and treatment of Arrhythmogenic Cardiomyopathy (ACM), a clinically multifaceted entity beyond the observation of ventricular arrhythmias, and the outcome of therapies aiming at sudden death prevention in a single center experience. Methods: retrospective analysis of the data of consecutive patients with an implanted cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) and a confirmed diagnosis of ACM according to the proposed Padua Criteria, who were...
  • Evidence snippets:
  • Snippet 1 (score: 0.578) > This review on Arrhythmogenic Cardiomyopathy (ACM) focuses on its diagnostic challenges, on the debated role of risk-stratification of sudden cardiac death, and reports the outcome of ICD treatment for sudden death prevention in all cardiac phenotypes. ACM is a general term that encompasses a group of diseases different amongst themselves depending on type of pathologic involvement of the heart, aetiology, and genetics. While it is rationale to assign a specific nosographic classification to entities having a homogeneous genetic background (mutations of the same gene/group of genes) resulting in a common clinical phenotype (Figs. 1,2), it is much more clinically challenging to classify a disease whose phenotypic appearance is the outcome of several unlinked genetic diseases with different pathogenic mechanisms. Even more difficult is disease classification when different mutations of the same gene are disease-causative in the same organ with differ-ent phenotypes (hypertrophic vs arrhythmogenic disease). Debate as to whether a genomic-based classification of diseases or a clinical phenotype-based one is more appropriate is ongoing. We focus on ACM phenotype expressed as right ventricular, biventricular, and left ventricular involvement of the heart caused by progressive replacement of the myocardium by fibrotic or fibro-fatty tissue, which acts as an arrhythmogenic substrate predisposing to lifethreatening ventricular arrhythmias and heart failure due to systolic ventricular dysfunction, caused by inherited genetic abnormalities. The earliest clinical manifestations of these diseases are ventricular arrhythmias, typically occurring between the third and the fourth decade, though they represent a relevant cause of sudden death in adolescents, especially in the physically active and in high-level athletes [1]. Sudden cardiac death (SCD) can be the first manifestation in a minority of patients, thereby heightening medical attention in the event ventricular arrhythmias are detected in otherwise healthy and young individuals.

[12] Arrhythmogenic Cardiomyopathy PKP2-Related: Clinical and Functional Characterization of a Pathogenic Variant Detected in Two Italian Families

  • Authors: E. Marchionni, Sonia Lomuscio, A. Latini, M. Murdocca, F. Romeo et al.
  • Year: 2025
  • Venue: Genes
  • URL: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/afff57f85745a4204acf47c04f8d5948b7866657
  • DOI: 10.3390/genes16040419
  • PMID: 40282378
  • PMCID: 12027432
  • Summary: The clinical onset of ACM can be Sudden Cardiac Death, and hence, it is recommended to perform a segregation test on first-degree relatives of pathogenic variant carriers, even if they are asymptomatic, with the purpose of promptly detecting those at risk.
  • Evidence snippets:
  • Snippet 1 (score: 0.573) > Arrhythmogenic Cardiomyopathy (ACM, MIM 609040) is a genetic disease characterized by incomplete penetrance and a wide variable expressivity. In most cases, it is caused by pathogenic variants in genes encoding for desmosomal proteins, which are involved in cardiomyocyte adhesion [1]. Among the desmosomal genes, Plakophilin-2 (PKP2, MIM 602861) is the most frequently associated with ACM [2]. Reduced expression of desmosomal proteins has been shown to induce cardiac dysfunction [3]. This is attributable to a progressive weakening of cell-to-cell junctions leading to fibrotic remodeling areas, due to a decrease in mechanical traction tolerance [4]. > The consequential cardiomyocyte apoptosis results in an uneven slowing of signal propagation, which implies the development of arrhythmias in affected patients. This explains why ACM is associated with a high risk of Sudden Cardiac Death (SCD), especially when PKP2 mutation carriers have not undergone appropriate cardiological follow-up [5]. > Clinical diagnosis of ACM is based on evaluating signs and symptoms, imaging, histological characterization, and electrocardiographic features. It is also important to obtain medical information about patients' pedigrees, as approximately 30% to 50% of those affected have a positive family history [6]. > According to the 2010 Revised Task Force Criteria for the Diagnosis of Arrhythmogenic Cardiomyopathy (formerly known as Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy/Dysplasia), all the clinical features detected through the cardiological assessment can be sorted into six different categories, each consisting of major and minor criteria: > Morphofunctional Alterations (right ventricular (RV) dilatation or wall motion bnormalities); 2. > Myocardium Histology (fibro-adipose replacement); 3. > Repolarization Abnormalities (inverted T waves in right precordial leads); 4. > Depolarization/Conduction Abnormalities (ε waves in the right precordial leads, prolonged QRS duration); 5.

[13] The genetic background of arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy

  • Authors: S. Ohno
  • Year: 2016
  • Venue: Journal of Arrhythmia
  • URL: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/913fda12a4950f207552feb583a7d267a58e34a5
  • DOI: 10.1016/j.joa.2016.01.006
  • PMID: 27761164
  • PMCID: 5063271
  • Citations: 76
  • Influential citations: 8
  • Summary: The clinical issues of ARVC from the genetic background are discussed and many studies have reported clinical manifestations of, prognosis for, and appropriate therapies for AR VC from the perspective of gene mutations.
  • Evidence snippets:
  • Snippet 1 (score: 0.564) > Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) is characterized by degeneration of the right ventricle and ventricular tachycardia originating from the right ventricle. Additionally, the disease is an inherited cardiomyopathy that mainly follows the autosomal dominant pattern. More than 10 genes have been reported as causative genes for ARVC, and more than half of ARVC patients carry mutations in desmosome related genes. The desmosome is one of the structures involved in cell adhesion and its disruption leads to various diseases, including a skin disease called pemphigus. Among desmosome genes, mutations in PKP2 are most frequently identified in ARVC patients. Although the genotype–phenotype correlations remain to be fully studied, many studies have reported clinical manifestations of, prognosis for, and appropriate therapies for ARVC from the perspective of gene mutations. A collective review of these reports would enhance the understanding of ARVC pathogenesis and clinical manifestation. This review discusses the clinical issues of ARVC from the genetic background.

[14] Using Zebrafish Animal Model to Study the Genetic Underpinning and Mechanism of Arrhythmogenic Cardiomyopathy

  • Authors: Yujuan Niu, Yuanchao Sun, Yuting Liu, Ke Du, Xiaolei Xu et al.
  • Year: 2023
  • Venue: International Journal of Molecular Sciences
  • URL: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/1ea7360cab3224c8bbe08bf376ceb2f4c216ca49
  • DOI: 10.3390/ijms24044106
  • PMID: 36835518
  • PMCID: 9966228
  • Citations: 5
  • Summary: Arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (ACM) is largely an autosomal dominant genetic disorder manifesting fibrofatty infiltration and ventricular arrhythmia with predominantly right ventricular involvement. ACM is one of the major conditions associated with an increased risk of sudden cardiac death, most notably in young individuals and athletes. ACM has strong genetic determinants, and genetic variants in more than 25 genes have been identified to be associated with ACM, accounting for approximately...
  • Evidence snippets:
  • Snippet 1 (score: 0.562) > Arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (ACM) is an updated term for the heart muscle disorder originally known as arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia/cardiomyopathy (ARVD/C), manifesting as malignant ventricular arrhythmias and fibrofatty infiltration in the myocardium of both ventricles, with right ventricular involvement being more common. Depending on the patient cohorts studied, the prevalence of ACM is estimated to be 1 case per 2000 to 5000 individuals in the general population [1]. While recognized as a rare form of cardiac disease, ACM with sustained ventricular arrhythmia represents a major risk condition, causing a significant proportion of sudden cardiac deaths, especially in young individuals and athletes [2,3]. > In the 2000s, through pedigree linkage analysis, homozygous truncating mutations in the junction plakoglobin (JUP) and desmoplakin (DSP) genes were identified in parallel to cause ACM that overlaps with cardio-cutaneous syndromes, representing the first two genetic studies to recognize ACM as an inheritable type of cardiomyopathy [4,5]. Since then, over the past almost two decades, mostly through the combined approaches of familial genetic linkage and candidate gene sequencing, numerous pathogenic variants in more than 25 genes have been identified to cause ACM, accounting for up to 60% of ACM cases [6][7][8][9]. These findings underscore the strong genetic determinant of ACM. However, the genotype-phenotype relationship in ACM patients remains complex; even for ACM cases harboring the same identified gene mutations, disease onset and disease severity can manifest with highly variable expressivity, likely due to the contributions of other comorbidities combined with different genetic background and environmental factors [10,11]. In addition, for patients with known genetic causes, the molecular mechanisms underlying their ACM disease progression remain poorly understood. Currently, clinical management of ACM patients mainly focuses on the general control of heart failure and the prevention of arrhythmic sudden cardiac death (SCD) [12].

[15] Contemporary genetic testing in inherited cardiac disease: tools, ethical issues, and clinical applications

  • Authors: F. Girolami, G. Frisso, M. Benelli, L. Crotti, M. Iascone et al.
  • Year: 2017
  • Venue: Journal of Cardiovascular Medicine (Hagerstown, Md.)
  • URL: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/1685069e7fbb47642dbd475d1b5cca90133ea1c6
  • DOI: 10.2459/JCM.0000000000000589
  • PMID: 29176389
  • PMCID: 5732648
  • Citations: 50
  • Influential citations: 1
  • Summary: This document reflects the multidisciplinary, ‘real-world’ experience required when implementing genetic testing in cardiomyopathies and arrhythmic syndromes, along the recommendations of various guidelines.
  • Evidence snippets:
  • Snippet 1 (score: 0.562) > Inherited cardiac diseases comprise a wide and heterogeneous spectrum of diseases of the heart, including the cardiomyopathies and the arrhythmic diseases in structurally normal hearts, that is, channelopathies. 1 With a combined estimated prevalence of 3% in the general population, 1 these conditions represent a relevant epidemiological entity worldwide, and are a major cause of cardiac morbidity and mortality in the young. The extraordinary progress achieved in molecular genetics over the last three decades has unveiled the complex molecular basis of many familial cardiac conditions, paving the way for routine use of gene testing in clinical practice. According to the European Society of Cardiology classification, cardiomyopathies are divided into dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), hypertrophic (HCM), arrhythmogenic right ventricular (ARVC), restrictive and unclassified, although in practice there may be extensive overlap between these phenotypes. 2 The hypokinetic nondilated cardiomyopathy has been recently added to the prior major phenotypes. 3 The American Heart Association advanced a gene-based classification 4 so that HCM was viewed as a disease of the sarcomere 5 and ARVC as a disease of intercellular junctions, caused by mutations in genes encoding desmosomal proteins. 6,7 The genetics of familial DCM is far more heterogeneous: currently, DCM mutations have been described in genes encoding cytoskeletal, sarcomeric, desmosomal, nucleoskeletal, mitochondrial, and calcium handling proteins. 8 Additionally, sarcomere mutations have been identified in association with more complex disorders of cardiac structure and function, including restrictive physiology and left ventricular noncompaction. 4 In the same manner, ARVC e DCM phenotypes can be a different expression of variants in the same genes (Lamin A, Filamin C, and desmosomal genes). 7 Channelopathies, generally caused by mutations in proteins constituting or regulating cardiac ion channels, include the long-Q waves and T waves (QT) syndrome (LQTS), the short-QT syndrome (SQTS), Brugada syndrome (BrS), and

[16] Experimental models of spontaneous ventricular arrhythmias and of sudden cardiac death.

  • Authors: M. Štengl
  • Year: 2010
  • Venue: Physiological research
  • URL: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/2d6baf492e82162573b5c2be03a82a8d95b314fd
  • DOI: 10.33549/PHYSIOLRES.932001
  • PMID: 20626217
  • Citations: 23
  • Summary: In this review, a number of experimental animal models with high incidence of sudden cardiac death were developed and are intensively studied to get new insights into theudden cardiac death mechanisms.
  • Evidence snippets:
  • Snippet 1 (score: 0.560) > Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy is an inherited cardiac disease associated with substantial cardiovascular morbidity and sudden death in young people (Thiene et al. 1988). Causative mutations were identified in genes encoding desmosomal proteins (Basso et al. 2009). A spontaneous, genetically transmitted model of arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy, closely resembling the human disease, was described in boxer dogs (Basso et al. 2004). Clinical events included sudden death, ventricular arrhythmias of suspected right ventricular origin, syncope and heart failure. Severe right ventricular myocyte loss with replacement by fatty or fibrofatty tissue was present. The cardiomyopathy in the model was shown to be associated with a substantial loss of gap junction plaques as well as with remodeling of other intercalated disc structures (Oxford et al. 2007). Calstabin2 deficiency associated with a significantly increased open probability of single sarcoplasmic reticulum release channels was also identified and suggested as a potential mechanism for calcium leak-induced ventricular arrhythmias in these dogs (Oyama et al. 2008).

[17] Extracellular vesicles in cardiomyopathies: A narrative review

  • Authors: A. Rizzuto, A. Faggiano, C. Macchi, S. Carugo, C. Perrino et al.
  • Year: 2023
  • Venue: Heliyon
  • URL: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/d9f9d3f5e11a4f42af7d1ead3cff3c874fff64a4
  • DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e23765
  • PMID: 38192847
  • PMCID: 10772622
  • Citations: 5
  • Influential citations: 1
  • Summary: The aims of this narrative review are to elucidate the potential role of EVs in the paracrine cell-to-cell communication among cardiac tissue compartments, in aiding the diagnosis of the diverse subtypes of cardiomyopathies in a minimally invasive manner, and to address whether certain molecular and phenotypical characteristics of EVs may correlate with cardiomyopathy disease phenotype and severity.
  • Evidence snippets:
  • Snippet 1 (score: 0.559) > Cardiomyopathies refer to myocardial disorders affecting the heart muscle, in which structural and functional abnormalities are observed, in the absence of diseases such as coronary artery disease, hypertension, valvular disease, or congenital heart disease that could account for the observed abnormalities. According to the 2023 European Society of Cardiology (ESC) guidelines for the management of cardiomyopathies, morphological traits (ventricular hypertrophy: left and/or right; ventricular dilation: left and/or right; non-ischemic ventricular scar) and functional characteristics (global and/or regional ventricular systolic and/or diastolic dysfunction) are clinically employed to categorize five distinct cardiomyopathy phenotypes: hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), non-dilated left ventricular cardiomyopathy (NDLVC), arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC), and restrictive cardiomyopathy (RCM). Furthermore, the guidelines also specify the existence of syndromic and metabolic cardiomyopathies, including Anderson-Fabry disease, RASopathies, Friedreich ataxia, and Glycogen storage disorders [4]. > Whilst this phenotypic description is essential in paving the diagnostic and therapeutic pathway, the exact evolving nature of cardiomyopathies, along with their underlying aetiological complexities, are yet to be fully elucidated [5]. Within this context, biomarkers represent putative tools for identifying high-risk patients in a prompt manner, unveiling potential risk associations with disease progression and outcomes, and may also provide insights on unexplored molecular mechanisms at the basis of the pathophysiology of these disorders. > Thus, the aim of the present narrative review is to summarize the current knowledge on EVs in the setting of cardiomyopathies and to elucidate whether certain molecular and phenotypical characteristics of EVs (e.g., miRNA content) may correlate with cardiomyopathy phenotypes and severity.

[18] Familial Arrhythmogenic Cardiomyopathy: Clinical Determinants of Phenotype Discordance and the Impact of Endurance Sports

  • Authors: S. Costa, A. Gasperetti, A. Medeiros-Domingo, D. Akdis, C. Brunckhorst et al.
  • Year: 2020
  • Venue: Journal of Clinical Medicine
  • URL: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/cfa322e3e3e111e155b2634afedc42ee1aa5c0bc
  • DOI: 10.3390/jcm9113781
  • PMID: 33238575
  • PMCID: 7700696
  • Citations: 11
  • Summary: Different phenotypic expression profiles of ACM are analyzed in the context of the same familial genetic mutation by studying nine adult cases from four different families with four different familial variants from the Swiss Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy Registry.
  • Evidence snippets:
  • Snippet 1 (score: 0.558) > Arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (ACM) is primarily a familial disease with autosomal dominant inheritance. Incomplete penetrance and variable expression are common, resulting in diverse clinical manifestations. Although recent studies on genotype–phenotype relationships have improved our understanding of the molecular mechanisms leading to the expression of the full-blown disease, the underlying genetic substrate and the clinical course of asymptomatic or oligo-symptomatic mutation carriers are still poorly understood. We aimed to analyze different phenotypic expression profiles of ACM in the context of the same familial genetic mutation by studying nine adult cases from four different families with four different familial variants (two plakophilin-2 and two desmoglein-2) from the Swiss Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy (ARVC) Registry. The affected individuals with the same genetic variants presented with highly variable phenotypes ranging from no disease or a classical, right-sided disease, to ACM with biventricular presentation. Moreover, some patients developed early-onset, electrically unstable disease whereas others with the same genetic variants presented with late-onset electrically stable disease. Despite differences in age, gender, underlying genotype, and other clinical characteristics, physical exercise has been observed as the common denominator in provoking an arrhythmic phenotype in these families.

[19] Altered Electrical, Biomolecular, and Immunologic Phenotypes in a Novel Patient-Derived Stem Cell Model of Desmoglein-2 Mutant ARVC

  • Authors: Robert N Hawthorne, A. Blazeski, Justin Lowenthal, Suraj Kannan, R. Teuben et al.
  • Year: 2021
  • Venue: Journal of Clinical Medicine
  • URL: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/6da345fa7e27ceec663bb0cbe8949a5e52f4f9a7
  • DOI: 10.3390/jcm10143061
  • PMID: 34300226
  • PMCID: 8306340
  • Citations: 36
  • Influential citations: 1
  • Summary: A novel human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocyte model of ARVC from a patient with a c.2358delA variant in desmoglein-2 (DSG2) found DSG2Mut hiPSC-CMs could underlie early mechanisms of disease manifestation in ARVC patients.
  • Evidence snippets:
  • Snippet 1 (score: 0.555) > Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) is an inherited, progressive arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (ACM) characterized by cardiomyocyte death and fibrofatty scarring in the ventricular myocardium. Clinically, patients with ARVC develop ventricular arrhythmias which often present more frequently as the disease progresses. > ARVC is estimated to account for more than 10% of all cardiovascular deaths in patients younger than 65 years old and is a leading cause of sudden cardiac death (SCD) in young athletes [1][2][3]. ARVC prevalence is approximately 1:1000-1:5000, and patients are typically diagnosed in young adulthood; diagnosis before puberty is extremely rare [4][5][6]. > While the pathophysiology underlying ARVC is still poorly understood, there has been general scientific consensus that the common final pathway of the disease involves the disruption of the cardiac desmosome, a cellular structure present at the intercalated disc that is critical for intercellular mechanical and electrical coupling between cardiomyocytes [7,8]. Pathogenic variants in any of the five cardiac desmosomal genes -plakoglobin (JUP), plakophilin-2 (PKP2), desmoglein-2 (DSG2), desmoplakin (DSP) and desmocollin-2 (DSC2)-account for more than 60% of inherited ARVC and have a combined estimated prevalence of approximately 1.2 per 1000 in the general population [9]. Among these, PKP2 and DSG2 are the first and second most common variants, respectively [6,10]. > Determining the pathogenic mechanisms underlying ARVC has proven difficult. The study of human tissue is challenging, as ARVC is frequently diagnosed in later stages of disease (e.g., myocardial scarring) when retrieval of a myocardial biopsy presents significant risk of cardiac perforation.

[20] Misdiagnosed myocarditis in arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy induced by a homozygous variant of DSG2: a case report

  • Authors: Xuwei Liu, Y. Zhang, Wen‐Jing Li, Qian Zhang, Lei Zhou et al.
  • Year: 2023
  • Venue: Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine
  • URL: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/1236e1d0916ff4dccfecafe269c149a1847b4987
  • DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2023.1150657
  • PMID: 37288269
  • PMCID: 10242036
  • Citations: 5
  • Summary: A rare pediatric case initially presenting as myocarditis that transitioned into ACM during follow-up is reported, expanding the clinical feature spectrum of DSG2-associated ACM at an early age.
  • Evidence snippets:
  • Snippet 1 (score: 0.553) > Misdiagnosed myocarditis in arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy induced by a homozygous variant of DSG2: a case report 1. Introduction Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC, OMIM:#610476) is an inherited heart muscle disease characterized by the loss of the ventricular myocardium and fibrofatty replacement, which predisposes patients to fatal ventricular arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death (SCD) (1,2). A genetic etiology has been identified for most inherited cardiovascular diseases, especially cardiomyopathies, with the rapid development of sequencing techniques. Regarding the molecular mechanism, ARVC has been identified as being related to pathogenetic variants in desmosomes and adherens junctions, which are critical for establishing cell-cell junctions and maintaining intercellular communication (3,4). Thus, the disease group ACM should be considered to define the broader spectrum of the phenotypic expressions of the disease (4). From a molecular perspective, multiple genes encoding desmosomal proteins, such as plakophilin-2 (PKP2), desmoplakin (DSP), DSG2, desmocollin (DSC2), and plakoglobin (JUP), account for 50% of patients with ACM in different cohorts (5,6). However, there are other genetic (non-desmosomal) and non-genetic causes of the disease. The non-desmosomal genes include DES, LMNA, SCN5A, PLN, TMEM43, and TGFB3, which are not involved in the molecular formation of desmosomes and participate in several types of ARVC origins (2). The inclusion of sarcomere-, ion transporter-, and cytokine-related genes would increase the percentage of patients positive for molecular characterization. However, the incomplete dominance and variable expressiveness of certain variants suggest that environmental factors play an important role. Initially, ARVC was considered to mainly cause right ventricular lesions and impair the function of the right ventricle.

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