title: Periostin and periostin-like factor in the human heart: possible therapeutic targets.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although numerous signaling pathways have been identified in adult heart disease, our ability to diagnose and treat human cardiomyopathies remains limited. A family of proteins, which includes periostin and periostin-like factor (PLF), has been identified during heart development and disease. Based on recent findings, these proteins are candidate therapeutic agents for heart disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  Affymetrix GeneChip Expression Analysis as well as northern and western blot analyses were used to determine periostin and PLF expression in humans. Periostin-like factor levels were determined, by western blot analysis, in the rat animal model used to study myocardial loading and unloading. In vivo and in vitro effects of overexpressing PLF by infection with adenovirus were assessed by calculating cardiac myocyte cross-sectional area and determining the level of protein synthesis, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings on PLF suggest that this periostin isoform plays a crucial role in adult cardiac myocyte growth following mechanical overload, thus, implicating its potential as a therapeutic target. In addition, we believe that the differences between the periostin and PLF are of functional significance.
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Research Group, Temple University Medical School, Philadelphia, PA 19140, USA. judith.litvin@temple.edu
authors.forename: Judith
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Litvin
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Blagg
authors.forename: Anbin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mu
authors.forename: Sunil
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Matiwala
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Montgomery
authors.forename: Remus
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Berretta
authors.forename: Steven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Houser
authors.forename: Kenneth
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Margulies
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D015153:Blotting, Western; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015870:Gene Expression; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; C512835:POSTN protein, human; C512836:Postn protein, rat