[Clinical study on changes of heme oxygenase-1 expression in patients with acute myocardial infarction].

OBJECTIVE

To investigate changes in heme oxygenase-1(HO-1) in patients with acute myocardial infarction.

METHODS

Forty-five patients with acute myocardial infarction and 50 with coronary heart disease (diagnosed by coronary angiography) but without acute myocardial infarction were included in this study, and another 40 patients with normal coronary artery as controls. Levels of HO-1 protein expression in monocyte and lymphocyte isolated from the patients were determined by immunohistochemistry and Western blot. Computer picture analyzing system was also used to measure levels of HO-1 protein expression.

RESULTS

HO-1 protein expression was located in the cytoplasm. The levels of HO-1 protein expression in patients with acute myocardial infarction were significantly higher than those without acute myocardial infarction (P<0.01). In addition, low levels of HO-1 protein expression were observed in patients with normal coronary artery.

CONCLUSIONS

There is a higher expression of HO-1 in patients with acute myocardial infarction, and a lower expression in patients with normal coronary artery.