Inclusion Criteria:

• Symptom onset less than 6 months prior to enrollment.
• An acute clinical syndrome compatible with myocarditis consisting of either heart failure or chest pain typical of an acute myocardial infarction.
• Discrete regional wall motion abnormalities on echocardiogram or CRM with an ejection fraction 50%.
• A globally dilated left ventricle for DCM patients.
• A coronary angiogram or coronary CT scan with no greater than 50% stenosis in any epicardial coronary artery or a CRM with no regions of post-gadolinium endomyocardial hyper enhancement to exclude ischemic cardiomyopathy.
• For myocarditis patients- either an endomyocardial biopsy that meets the “Dallas Criteria” for myocarditis or borderline myocarditis or a CRM scan that meets Lake Louise diagnostic criteria for acute myocarditis.
• Echocardiography may be substituted for CRM when CRM is contraindicated for patients for reasons such as the presence of a pacemaker or claustrophobia.
• Ability to sign informed consent.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Diagnosis of ischemic, valvular, or congenital cardiomyopathy by echocardiogram or CRM.
• Serum creatinine greater than 2.0 mg/dL or an estimated GFR of <30cc/min.
• Coronary artery disease (one or more lesions >50%).
• Methamphetamine use in the last 5 years.
• History of alcohol use exceeding 3 drinks per day.
• Cardiac transplant recipient.
• Myocardial biopsy demonstrates evidence of hemochromatosis or amyloidosis.
• Other potential etiology of cardiomyopathy such as a history of receiving chemotherapy, uncorrected thyroid disease, uncontrolled hypertension despite medical therapy, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, significant primary valvular disease.
• Evidence of ongoing bacteremia.
• History of malignancy treated with chemotherapy or chest radiation within the last five years or life threatening disease that would likely decrease life expectancy to less than three years.
• Pregnancy.
• Lack of ability or refusal to sign informed consent.