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Increased nuclear proto-oncogene expression in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
1Cardiology Department, Philipps-University of Marburg, Germany.
Insights
Nuclear proto-oncogenes like c-fos, c-jun, and c-myc are activated in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. This finding suggests their potential role in the disease, though triggers remain unclear.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Molecular Biology
- Oncology
Background:
- Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy involves unexplained left ventricle hypertrophy, particularly the interventricular septum.
- While genetic mutations are known, the pathways causing myocyte hypertrophy are unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of nuclear proto-oncogene expression in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
- To determine if proto-oncogenes like c-myc, c-fos, and c-jun are activated in affected individuals.
Main Methods:
- Endomyocardial biopsies from 13 hypertrophic cardiomyopathy patients were analyzed.
- Monoclonal antibodies against c-myc, c-fos, and c-jun were used to detect protein expression.
Main Results:
- Nuclear proto-oncogenes c-fos, c-jun, and c-myc were expressed in 53%, 60%, and 50% of patients, respectively.
- Control biopsies showed minimal c-myc expression (10%) and no detectable c-fos or c-jun.
Conclusions:
- Nuclear proto-oncogenes are significantly induced in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
- The study highlights a potential molecular mechanism in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, but triggers require further investigation.
Abstract:
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is characterized by an unexplained hypertrophy of the left ventricle, particularly the interventricular septum. Although point mutations in the beta-myosin chain gene have been found in several US families in familiar hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, the pathogenetic pathways leading to myocyte hypertrophy, the most important feature, are still not clear. To examine whether activation (expression) of nuclear proto-oncogenes may play a role in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, endomyocardial biopsies from 13 patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy were examined using monoclonal antibodies against c-myc, c-fos and c-jun. The nuclear proto-oncogenes c-fos, c-jun and c-myc were expressed in 53, 60, and 50%, respectively, of patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. In control biopsies, c-myc was detectable in only 10% of the patients, while c-fos and c-jun were always undetectable. These results show that nuclear proto-oncogenes are induced in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, although the triggering mechanisms remain unknown.