title: Low urinary 6-sulphatoxymelatonin levels in patients with coronary artery disease.
abstract: A decrease in nocturnal serum melatonin levels was reported in patients with clinically uncharacterized coronary artery disease. To assess whether there was a correlation between melatonin production and disease stage, we measured the nocturnal urinary excretion of 6-sulphatoxymelatonin (an index of blood melatonin concentration) in patients with chronic stable or unstable coronary disease and in a group of age-matched controls. Three groups of individuals were studied: a) 24 healthy subjects (mean age: 63 +/- 13 yr); b) 32 patients with chronic, stable, coronary disease (62 +/- 11 yr); and c) 27 patients with unstable angina (62 +/- 12 yr). For 6-sulphatoxymelatonin measurement, urine was collected from 18:00 to 06:00 hr, within 48 hr of hospitalization in the case of unstable angina. 6-Sulphatoxymelatonin was measured by a specific radioimmunoassay. Urinary 6-sulphatoxymelatonin excretion was significantly lower in unstable angina patients than in healthy subjects or in patients with stable angina. 6-Sulphatoxymelatonin correlated negatively with age in healthy subjects, but not in coronary patients. 6-Sulphatoxymelatonin excretion in patients treated with beta-adrenoceptor blockers did not differ significantly from coronary patients not receiving beta-blockers. The results indicate that patients with coronary disease have a low melatonin production rate, with greater decreases in those with higher risk of cardiac infarction and/or death.
authors.affiliation: División Cardiología, Hospital Ramos Jejía, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Girotti
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lago
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ianovsky
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Carbajales
authors.forename: M V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Elizari
authors.forename: L I
authors.initials: LI
authors.lastname: Brusco
authors.forename: D P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Cardinali
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000652:urine; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000652:urine*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008550:Melatonin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000652:urine*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011863:Radioimmunoassay
chemical_list: C054513:6-sulfatoxymelatonin; D008550:Melatonin