Myocardial Cx43 expression in the cases of sudden death due to dilated cardiomyopathy.
OBJECTIVE
Probing into myocardial connexin (Cx) 43 expression in the cases of sudden death due to dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) and relationship between Cx43 expression and sudden death.


METHODS
Myocardial Cx43 was detected with immunohistochemical staining in the cases of 11 sudden death caused by DCM and 14 cases of control group who died of violent reasons and other diseases, which were autopsied in our department from 1997 to 2003.


RESULTS
Of 11 cases of DCM, there were 10 men and 1 woman with ranging in age from 7 to 49 years old (x (37.8) years old for 9 adult cases). Of 14 cases in the control group, there were 10 men and 4 women with ranging in age from 11 to 53 years old (x (29.9) years old for 11 adult cases). Myocardial Cx43 expression was obviously decreased in DCM group. Positive dyeing spots were different in size, distribution, color and disparity, some of them were distributed in the form of particle. Obvious change had not been observed in the cases of control group or with only slight changes in coloring degree and expressive area. The quantitative data showed that there was significant difference between two groups (p=0.0075) about Cx43 expressive area, but there was no difference between the left and right ventricles (p>0.05) in each group itself. And there was not difference between the two groups about average optical density of expression.


CONCLUSIONS
Myocardial Cx43 expression is obviously reduced in the patients with DCM who die suddenly. The alteration of quantity and distribution of myocardial Cx43 expression is probably related to sudden death of the patients with DCM.
Chen
Xinshan
X
Department of Forensic Pathology, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, PR China. xschen@mails.tjmu.edu.cn
Zhang
Yigu
Y
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002311:Cardiomyopathy, Dilated / Q000378:metabolism*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D018031:Connexin 43 / Q000378:metabolism*; D016757:Death, Sudden, Cardiac / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D049429:Forensic Pathology; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology
D018031:Connexin 43