The dynamics of healing processes in the heart muscle in acute myocardial infarction

Healing processes in the myocardium in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) were assessed by dynamic monitoring of changes in the levels of collagen metabolites--free (FO) and peptide-bound (PBO) oxyproline--in 50 patients and in 30 healthy controls. Basic parameters of protein metabolism using radionuclide markers were determined simultaneously with FO and PBO values in 33 patients with AMI. The following changes in the blood levels of collagen metabolites were found: FO level increased in the acute stage of MI and correlated with the parameters of protein degradation; PBO level increased in the subacute stage of disease in a close correlation with protein synthesis parameters. Dynamic monitoring of PBO level can thus be used to assess the rate of healing processes in the myocardium.