Acute myocarditis and low melatonin: unraveling a potential link

Background Acute myocarditis is one of the common causes of sudden cardiac death among young adults. While melatonin has been recognized for its cardioprotective properties, the specific relationship between melatonin and acute myocarditis in humans is not well established. Methods We collected morning urine samples from 21 patients diagnosed with acute myocarditis and 21 healthy controls to measure the levels of 6-sulfatoxymelatonin (aMT6s), a biomarker of nocturnal melatonin secretion, using an ELISA assay. Results The mean age of the control group was 31.05 ± 9.75 years, and the acute myocarditis group had a mean age of 30.71 ± 10.11 years. Both groups were evenly divided by gender, with 15 males and 6 females in each. Acute myocarditis patients exhibited significantly lower aMT6s levels (50.57 ± 36.39 ng/mL) compared with healthy volunteers (80.36 ± 48.92 ng/mL; P = 0.031). Similarly, the aMT6s-to-creatinine ratio was reduced in patients (106.95 ± 73.45 ng/mg cr) vs. controls (159.73 ± 92.96 ng/mg cr; P = 0.048). Conclusion Lower melatonin levels, measured via urinary aMT6s concentrations in acute myocarditis patients, suggest a link to the disease process.