[Association between expression of chromogranin A and myocardial fibrosis in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy].
OBJECTIVE
To observe the possible correlation between expression of chromogranin A (CGA) and myocardial fibrosis and investigate the potential role of CGA in the development of myocardial fibrosis in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM).


METHODS
Surgical myocardial specimen from 10 DCM patients underwent successful orthotopic cardiac transplantation, and 3 normal myocardial specimen from brain-dead organ donors were obtained. CGA-mRNA, COLI-mRNA, COLIII-mRNA and ADAMTS-1-mRNA were analyzed by real-time PCR. The location and expression of CGA were assessed by immunohistochemistry(INH)with anti-CGA antibody. The collagen specific picrosirius red staining was applied on transversal myocardial slides and the collagen volume fraction (CVF) was calculated. The correlation between CGA and CVF was analyzed.


RESULTS
Cytoplasmic expression of CGA assessed by INH showed large amount of strong positive granules densely arranged in the epicardial and endocardial myocardiocytes in DCM specimen while there was only few sparse granules in the normal myocardium (P < 0.05). CVF was significantly higher in DCM myocardial specimen than that in normal specimen (P < 0.001). CGA-mRNA was significantly correlated with COLI-mRNA (r = 0.729), COLIII-mRNA (r = 0.95) and ADAMTS-1-mRNA (r = 0.665, all P < 0.05). Moreover, collagen deposition location was almost identical with the strong positive expression location of CGA.


CONCLUSIONS
We demonstrated for the first time that the deposition of CGA was related with the myocardial fibrosis in DCM heart, therefore, CGA might play an important role by influencing myocardial remodeling and fibrosis in DCM patients.
Xie
Ye-qing
YQ
Key Laboratory of Viral Heart Diseases, Ministry of Public Health, Shanghai Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.
Chen
Rui-zhen
RZ
Yu
Yong
Y
Chen
Ping
P
Yang
Zhao-hua
ZH
Guo
Qi
Q
Yang
Ying-zhen
YZ
D000328:Adult; D002311:Cardiomyopathy, Dilated / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D053379:Chromogranin A / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D005260:Female; D005355:Fibrosis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology*
D053379:Chromogranin A