The expression of heat shock protein 60 in myocardium of patients with chronic atrial fibrillation.
OBJECTIVE
Cardiomyocytes respond to stress with the expression of different heat shock proteins (HSP). HSP60 is induced by various stress factors. The aim of this study was to investigate the expression of HSP60 in human atrial fibrillation (AF).


METHODS
Right atrial samples from 14 patients undergoing elective cardiac surgery were excised and immediately frozen in liquid nitrogen. Eight patients had chronic AF and six patients were in sinus rhythm. The HSP60 protein level was determined by SDS-PAGE, Western blot and quantified by optical densitometry according to the immunoreactive bands of actin.


RESULTS
In myocardial samples from patients with chronic AF, we found a more than 2.5-fold increase in HSP60 expression compared to atrial myocardium of patients in sinus rhythm.


CONCLUSIONS
This result indicates an up regulation of HSP60 in response to chronic atrial fibrillation.
Schäfler
Alfons E
AE
Department of Cardiac Surgery and Cardiovascular Research Center, University of Ulm. aschaefler@gmx.de
Kirmanoglou
Kiriakos
K
Balbach
Jochen
J
Pecher
Peter
P
Hannekum
Andreas
A
Schumacher
Bernd
B
D000199:Actins / Q000378:metabolism; D000368:Aged; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D018834:Chaperonin 60 / Q000378:metabolism*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism*; D012016:Reference Values
D000199:Actins; D018834:Chaperonin 60