RecruitingNAINTERVENTIONAL

Lymphatic Organs and Myocardium After Myocardial Infarction

This study aims to understand how your body's immune system helps your heart heal after a heart attack. After a heart attack, the body's natural defence system, called the immune response, gets involved in repairing the heart. We are looking at specific glands, called lymph nodes, and other organs, to see if their activity can give us clues about how well your heart will recover. We'll use special imaging scans to see inside your body and combine this with blood tests. This will help us find out if the size or activity of these glands and organs can predict how your heart will do in the future, particularly if it might change in ways that aren't helpful for recovery.

At a glance

Status

Recruiting

Phase

Sponsor

Wuerzburg University Hospital

Enrolment target

Start

01 Apr 2022

Estimated completion

01 Dec 2026

Myocardial Infarction Myocardial Injury Myocardial Inflammation

What is this study about?

When someone has a heart attack, it damages the heart muscle. After this, the body's natural defence system, called the immune system, steps in to help repair the damage. Scientists believe that how this immune system reacts plays a really important role in how well the heart heals and recovers.

This study wants to find out if we can use special scans to see what's happening in certain parts of your body, like small glands called lymph nodes. These glands are part of your immune system. We also look at other organs like the spleen, bone marrow, and the heart itself. By combining different types of scans (like detailed heart scans and others that show activity in your cells) with blood tests, we hope to understand the immune response better.

Ultimately, we want to see if changes we observe in these organs, especially the lymph nodes, after a heart attack can tell us something important. Specifically, can they predict how your heart will heal and whether it might experience problems later on? This could help doctors understand who might need different treatments or closer watch after a heart attack.

Key takeaways

Aims to understand immune response after heart attack.
Uses special scans and blood tests to monitor changes.
Looks at how lymph nodes and other organs react.
Hopes to predict heart healing and future problems.
Contributes to better care for heart attack patients.

Who may be eligible?

You might be able to join this study if you've recently had a specific type of heart attack called a STEMI, and you had a procedure to open up your blocked artery straight away. You also need to be at least 18 years old and in a stable condition after your heart attack. Both men and women can take part.

However, there are reasons you might not be able to join. For example, if you've had certain other long-term heart conditions, or if you're still very unwell more than two days after your procedure. You also can't take part if you're pregnant, breastfeeding, or if you have certain medical conditions or implants that would make the scans unsafe for you.

Could this study suit you?

Answer these quick questions to see if you may be eligible. This is a guide only — the research team makes the final call.

Have you recently had a specific type of heart attack (STEMI)?
Were you treated with an immediate procedure to open your artery?
Are you over 18 years old?
Are you in a stable condition after your heart attack?
Do you have any conditions that would make MRI or PET scans unsafe for you?

Answer every question to see your result.

What does participation involve?

If you take part in this study, you will have several different types of scans. These include special heart scans (like MRI scans, which use strong magnets and radio waves to create detailed pictures, and echocardiograms, which use sound waves) and PET scans, which look at cell activity. You will also have blood samples taken. These assessments will happen at different times after your heart attack. The study will monitor you over a period to see how your heart and body respond.

Potential risks and benefits

Taking part in research studies helps us learn more about health conditions. While there may not be a direct personal benefit to you, your information will help improve care for future patients. All medical tests carry some small risks, which the study team will explain fully. For example, MRI scans involve lying still in a tunnel-like machine, and PET scans involve a small amount of a radioactive tracer. You are free to withdraw from the study at any time, for any reason, without it affecting your medical care.

Locations (2)

Klinikum Würzburg Mitte, Medizinische Klinik
Verified postcode
Würzburg, Germany· Recruiting
University Hospital Wuerzburg
Verified postcode
Würzburg, Germany· Recruiting

Common questions

What is a heart attack (myocardial infarction)?

A heart attack happens when blood flow to part of the heart is blocked, causing damage to the heart muscle.

What are lymph nodes?

Lymph nodes are small, bean-shaped glands that are part of your immune system. They help filter harmful substances and produce immune cells.

What do the scans involve?

You will have detailed heart scans (MRI, echocardiogram) and special PET scans that show activity in certain cells. These help us see how your heart and immune system are working.

Why are blood tests needed?

Blood tests help us understand more about your immune system cells and how they respond after a heart attack, complementing what we see on the scans.

Will I get results from the study?

The study aims to gather overall information for research. Individual results are usually not given back, but the study team can discuss this with you.

How to find out more

Theresa Reiter, MD

reiter_t@ukw.de +4993120139944 Official trial record

Always speak to your GP or specialist before deciding to take part in a study.