Mitochondrial deformity confined to a single cardiomyocyte in human endomyocardial biopsy specimens: Report of 4 cases

Publication date: Available online 30 August 2017 Source:Journal of Cardiology Cases Author(s): Genzou Takemura, Hiromitsu Kanamori, Hideshi Okada, Akiko Tsujimoto, Nagisa Miyazaki, Shusaku Miyata, Hideaki Ohta, Yoshiaki Kawase, Makoto Ono, Mamoru Mochizuki, Shigeki Kobayashi, Kenji Onoue, Tomoya Nakano, Yasuhiro Sakaguchi, Hitoshi Matsuo, Masafumi Yano, Yoshihiko Saito During electron microscopic examination of 156 consecutive human endomyocardial biopsy specimens, we found marked mitochondrial deformity within a single cardiomyocyte in each of 4 specimens. The deformed mitochondria were unevenly distributed, but the deformities were confined to the one cardiomyocyte. Those affected cardiomyocytes were accompanied by nonspecific degenerative changes such as nuclear hypertrophy and/or rarefaction of the myofibrils. Mitochondria in all other cells within the specimens appeared normal. Such an abnormality has never been reported to date. Each of the four cases was diagnosed with a different ailment: post-myocarditis, dilated cardiomyopathy, amyloidosis, and tachycardia-induced heart failure. However, all four cases were accompanied by left ventricular systolic dysfunction at biopsy. The very limited mitochondrial deformation may thus reflect a type of degenerative change that accompanies heart failure. <Learning objective: A marked mitochondrial deformity must have been overlooked to date, which is confined to a single cardiomyocyte in an endomyocardia...
Source: Journal of Cardiology Cases - Category: Cardiology Source Type: research