title: Increased mRNA expression of tumour necrosis factor-alpha and its converting enzyme in circulating leucocytes of patients with acute myocardial infarction.
abstract: Tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) plays an important role in myocardial damage in acute myocardial infarction (AMI). It has recently been discovered that TNF-alpha-converting enzyme (TACE) cleaves precursor TNF-alpha into its mature form. However, it remains unknown whether TNF-alpha expression is related to TACE expression in circulating leucocytes in AMI. Blood samples were obtained from 37 patients with AMI within 24 h of onset and eight healthy controls. Plasma TNF-alpha levels were measured by ELISA. Total mRNA was then extracted from circulating leucocytes, and the expression levels of TACE and TNF-alpha mRNAs were determined by reverse transcriptase-PCR. Plasma TNF-alpha levels were significantly higher in patients with Killip's classes III and IV AMIs (17.1+/-5.0 pg/ml, n =11) than in those with Killip's classes I and II AMIs (13.7+/-4.2 pg/ml, n =26), or controls (13.0+/-1.7 pg/ml, n =8) ( P <0.05). There was a significant increase in expression (arbitrary units) of TACE and TNF-alpha mRNAs in circulating leucocytes obtained from patients with Killip's classes I and II AMIs [TACE/glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), 2.770+/-0.303; TNF-alpha/GAPDH, 2.123+/-0.475] compared with controls (TACE/GAPDH, 1.498+/-0.209; TNF-alpha/GAPDH, 1.283+/-0.274) ( P <0.01). This increase was even greater in patients with Killip's classes III and IV AMIs (TACE/GAPDH, 3.086+/-0.354; TNF-alpha/GAPDH, 2.808+/-0.422) ( P <0.01). Moreover, there was a significant positive relationship between these mRNA expression levels ( r =0.60, P <0.01). The TACE-TNF-alpha system in circulating leucocytes is stimulated and may have a negative impact on clinical outcome in AMI.
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Internal Medicine, Iwate Medical University, 19-1 Uchimaru, Morioka, Iwate 020-8505, Japan. akatsu@carrot.ocn.ne.jp
authors.forename: Tomonari
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Akatsu
authors.forename: Motoyuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: Mamoru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Satoh
authors.forename: Katsuhiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hiramori
mesh_terms: D051722:ADAM Proteins; D000072198:ADAM17 Protein; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D005987:Glyceraldehyde-3-Phosphate Dehydrogenases / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008666:Metalloendopeptidases / Q000235:genetics*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D005987:Glyceraldehyde-3-Phosphate Dehydrogenases; D051722:ADAM Proteins; D008666:Metalloendopeptidases; D000072198:ADAM17 Protein; C000606462:ADAM17 protein, human