Patent ID: 8263325

Claim:
A method of predicting whether a human patient is susceptible to myocarditis resulting from an infection, the method comprising: obtaining a sample of a body fluid from the patient, assaying to determine a level of a brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), or both BNP and atrial natriuretic peptide (ANF), within the sample of body fluid and comparing the level of BNP, or both BNP and ANF to the level of BNP, or both BNP and ANF from a control group, wherein an increase in the level of BNP, or both BNP and ANF in the sample, compared to the level of BNP, or both BNP and ANF in the control group, indicates that myocarditis will arise as a result of an infection in the patient, and predicting the patient is susceptible to myocarditis as a result of the infection where the level of BNP, or both BNP and ANF in the sample is increased.