Immunohistochemical identification of Propionibacterium acnes in granuloma and inflammatory cells of myocardial tissues obtained from cardiac sarcoidosis patients

Abstract

Frequent identification of P. acnes in sarcoid granulomas of originally aseptic myocardial tissues suggests that this indigenous bacterium causes granuloma in many CS patients. IHC detection of P. acnes in massive or minimal inflammatory foci of myocardial biopsy samples without granulomas may be useful for differentiating sarcoidosis from myocarditis or other cardiomyopathies.