title: Circulating alpha-actin protein in acute myocardial infarction.
abstract: We used Western-blot analysis to investigate the possible presence in the bloodstream of the contractile protein alpha-actin in 70 patients diagnosed with acute myocardial infarction on the basis of clinical, electrocardiographic and laboratory (creatine kinase and lactate dehydrogenase) criteria. Circulating protein was identified with a monoclonal antibody specific for cardiac alpha-actin. Of the 70 control samples of blood, the immunoblot results were negative for alpha-actin in 98% of the cases. Of the 30 patients with skeletal muscle damage caused by surgery, 26 were negative for circulating alpha-actin. Of the 70 patients with acute myocardial infarction, circulating alpha-actin was found in 67 (95%) as a 43 kDa band in immunoblots; the highest circulating concentrations (0.0580 micrograms/microliters) were found in those with anterior acute myocardial infarction. Circulating alpha-actin was detected in samples taken between 1 and 180 h after the onset of pain, and showed a biphasic pattern of appearance. Our findings for serum alpha-actin, together with the relationship between serum concentrations of this protein and sex (p = 0.001), tobacco use (p = 0.007) and postepisode complications (p = 0.002), should make it possible to gain a deeper understanding of acute myocardial infarction as a clinical entity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Morphological Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Granada, Spain.
authors.forename: A E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Aránega
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Reina
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Muros
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Alvarez
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Prados
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aránega
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000097:blood*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015153:Blotting, Western / Q000592:standards*; D015897:Comorbidity; D003325:Coronary Care Units; D003402:Creatine Kinase / Q000097:blood; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase; D003402:Creatine Kinase