Clinical Utility of Electrophorctically Separated Serum Protein Fractions for Prediction of Myocardial Infarction

In an investigation on molecular basis of pathogenesis in cardiovascular diseases the blood samples of forty patients diagnosed for myocardial infarction (MI) obtained from Punjab Institute of Cardiology, Lahore, Pakistan, and twenty healthy subjects of comparable age group without any history of cardiac ailment as control were used for study of protein profiles with sodium dodecyle Sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) in first dimension. The amount and molecular weights of each of the protein fractions were determined by Gene Genius' Bio-imaging Gel Documentation System. The protein fractions that showed significant variation were separated by using the technique of electroblotting and electroelution and run on isoelectric focusing (IEF) in second dimension to determine their isoelectric points. The most pertinent results in the comparison were the significant increase in apolipoprotein B, marked decrease in apolipoprotein A-1 and transthyretin and high apolipoprotein B/aplipoprotein AI ratio in the sera of patients of MI compared to healthy subjects. These results show that level of apolipoprotein A-1, apolipoprotein 13, transthyretin and the apolipoprotein B/ apolipoprotein A-1 ratio were the strong predictor of MI. It is also suggested that future MI events could be improved by measuring these proteins.