Introduction: Alpha - 1 antitrypsin (A1AT), released from the liver, is known to protect lung tissue from damage. Some evidence suggests such protection is extended to myocardial tissues during myocardial ischemia/infarction.
Objective: The aim of the study was to determine the time course of A1AT levels in the plasma of myocardial infarction patients over 96 hours and compare it with healthy individuals.
Methods: Blood samples were collected from patients (n=40, age 58 + 11 yrs, males 29 and females 11), at 1, 4, 24, 48 and 96 hrs after confirmed diagnosis and admission to King Salman Cardiac Center in King Fahad Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. IRB approval and consent was signed by all patients. The patients were divided into smokers (n=10) and non-smokers (27), Hypertensive (23) and non-hypertensive (14). Blood samples were collected in purple top tubes containing EDTA to prevent blood coagulation and immediately centrifuged at 6000 rpm at 4 C for 20 min. Plasma was decanted and stored at – 20 C until analyzed. AlAT was determined in plasma using Eliza kits (abcam, USA).
Results: A1AT level were significantly less in smokers after an MI (1158+177 ug/ml at 96 hrs, Plt;0.05, n=10) compared to (1547+128 ug/ml, n=27, mean + SEM) in non-smokers. A1AT after an MI attack was comparable in hypertensive (1179+213 ug/ml) with that in non-hypertensive patients(1122+190ug/ml).
Conclusion: The plasma levels of A1AT seem to be significantly less during an MI attack in smokers compared to non-smoker but not in hypertensive patients where the level is compared to non-hypertensive. From other data from this study in those patients in whom the level of A1AT dropped to more than 50 % of normal values (lt; 600 ug/ml) they passed away and did not survive the MI attack. It is therefore suggested that A1AT could have some protective effect on ischemic myocardium. More studies are needed to confirm this suggestion.
