Congenital heart block: Autoimmune associated or auto-immune mediated?

The association of congenital heart block with maternal autoantibodies to S SA/Ro and/or SSB/La ribonucleoproteins suggests a direct role for the autoa ntibodies in tissue injury. Here, Jill P. Buyon discusses possible patholog ical mechanisms, including the nature of the target antigen,the role of aut oantibodies in altering L-type calcium channel function within the heart, a nd the potential role of apoptosis in making target antigens available to a utoantibodies.