Role of monocytes in the early phase of acute myocardial infarction.
BACKGROUND
In acute myocardial infarction peripheral leucocytosis occurs early and fibrinogen levels increase in response to the tissue injury, expressed by the enhanced enzyme plasma levels. The aim of the present study has been to investigate if a unifying link between these modifications might be found.


METHODS
In 325 patients, 246 men and 79 women, 61.46 +/- 11.00 and 70.03 +/- 11.30 years mean age respectively, at admission for myocardial infarction and before treatment, we simultaneously measured plasma fibrinogen (FBG), hemochromocytometric parameters and plasma enzyme aspartate and alanine transaminase (AST and ALT), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and creatine phosphokinase (CPK). The statistical analysis was performed by using standard multiple regression for dependent variable FBG and for the variables white blood cells (WBC), monocyte number, large unstained cells (LUC) and CPK.


RESULTS
The results showed that FBG was significantly correlated with monocyte (p < 0.001) and LUC (p < 0.05) counts; assumed as dependent variable, further on with FBG, monocyte number was correlated with WBC count, LUC and CPK; further on with monocyte number, WBC with neutrophile and lymphocyte counts, LUC with CPK, CPK with LDH.


CONCLUSIONS
The study seems to show that monocyte modifications occur already in the early phase of myocardial infarction. These modifications are directly related to damage extension, as deducible from CPK levels, and seem to mainly modulate FBG and WBC, since the cytokines and hematopoietic growth factors production by activated monocytes.
Aliberti
G
G
Clinica Medica II Università degli Studi La Sapienza, Roma, Italy.
Pulignano
I
I
Proietta
M
M
De Michele
L V
LV
Corvisieri
P
P
Minisola
S
S
D000208:Acute Disease; D000368:Aged; D003402:Creatine Kinase / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005340:Fibrinogen / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase / Q000097:blood; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009000:Monocytes / Q000502:physiology*; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000097:blood* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000209:etiology*
D005340:Fibrinogen; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase; D003402:Creatine Kinase