Cardiac Isoform of Alpha 2 Macroglobulin and Its Reliability as a Cardiac Marker in HIV Patients

Subbiah, Ramasamy; Chengat, Vipindas; Clifton, Justin D.; Rathinavel, Andiappan; Bidulescu, Aurelian; Tharmarajan, Ramprasath; Selvam, Govindan Sadasivam

doi:10.1016/j.hlc.2009.10.005

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Volume 19, Issue 2 , Pages 93-95, February 2010

Cardiac Isoform of Alpha 2 Macroglobulin and Its Reliability as a Cardiac Marker in HIV Patients

Ramasamy Subbiah, PhD
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Biological Sciences, Madurai Kamaraj University, Madurai, India
- Department of Biochemistry, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- These authors equally contributed to this work.
Vipindas Chengat, MD
- Department of Medicine, John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County, Chicago, IL, USA
- Department of Medicine, Madurai Medical College, India
- These authors equally contributed to this work.
Justin D. Clifton, PhD
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Pennsylvania, School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
Andiappan Rathinavel, PhD
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Biological Sciences, Madurai Kamaraj University, Madurai, India
- Department of Cardio Thoracic Surgery, Madurai Medical College, Madurai, India
Aurelian Bidulescu, PhD
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Department of Community Health and Preventive Medicine, Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
Ramprasath Tharmarajan, MSc
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Biological Sciences, Madurai Kamaraj University, Madurai, India
Govindan Sadasivam Selvam, PhD
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Biological Sciences, Madurai Kamaraj University, Madurai, India
- Corresponding author at: Department of Biochemistry, Center for Advanced Studies in Functional Genomics, Madurai Kamaraj University, Madurai 625021, Tamil Nadu, India. Tel.: +91 452 2458223; fax: +91 452 2458223.

Received 19 July 2009; received in revised form 19 October 2009; accepted 19 October 2009.

Background

Cardiac isoform of alpha 2 macroglobulin (CA2M), a serum protein (182000Mr) has been used as a diagnostic molecular marker for cardiac manifestations in HIV and diabetic patients. This study investigates the reliability of CA2M as an early diagnostic marker for cardiac manifestations in HIV patients and factors that could possibly influence their levels.

Methods

A total of 206 serum samples were analysed from HIV patients with cardiac diseases (68), with non-cardiac ailments (48), opportunistic infections (34) and without other co-morbidities (56). The immuno-cross-reactivity between human serum CA2M and anti-rat CA2M antibody was tested and quantified by sandwich enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

Results

The CA2M levels were high in HIV patients with cardiac diseases irrespective of the manifestations. The CA2M levels were not influenced by opportunistic infections, non-cardiac ailments and patient parameters like age, sex, duration of illness, past history of other co-morbidities.

Conclusion

CA2M can be used as a reliable early diagnostic marker in HIV patients with cardiac manifestations. CA2M levels were not influenced by other patient parameters.

Keywords: CA2M, HIV, Cardiac marker