Serum level of heart-type fatty acid-binding protein in patients with chronic renal failure

Heart-type fatty acid binding-protein [H-FABP] has been reported to be a potential novel biochemical marker for the early diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction [AMI]. The effect of kidney diseases on the renal handling of H-FABP has not yet been fully evaluated. The aim of this study was to compare the effect of renal failure on the level of H-FABP and cardiac troponin [cTnT] concentrations. The study population was a small group of 16 patients with renal failure [6 females, 10 males aged 30-70 years] on routine regular haemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis. Results: The mean +/- SD of serum urea and creatinine concentration in this group of patients was 19 +/- 9.6 mmol/L and 531.3 +/- 231.2 mmol/L respectively. H-FABP was increased in all 16 patients [81 +/- 53.3 micro g/L]. The cTnT was increased

impact of chronic liver diseases on the level of heart-type fatty acid-binding protein [H-FABP] concentrations

Heart-type fatty acid binding-protein [H-FABP] has been reported to be a potential novel biochemical marker for the early diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction [AMI]. The presence of H-FABP in the liver has not been reported. The aim of this study was to compare the effect of chronic liver diseases on the level of H-FABP concentrations. The effects of chronic liver diseases including infective hepatitis and cirrhosis on the concentration of H-FABP was studied in a small group of patients [n=10, mean age +/- SD = 58.33 +/- 7.19 years]. The serum concentrations of the following markers were measured: H-FABP, alanine aminotransferase [ALT] and bilirubin and compared with a reference control group [20 healthy blood donors, mean age +/- SD = 63.8 +/- 8.01]. The serum concentrations of these markers in the control group as compared to patients with chronic liver disease were as follows [mean +/- SD]: H-FABP = 6.86 +/- 2.21 micro g/L versus 6.44 +/- 3.06 micro g/L [p = NS]; ALT = 29.8 +/- 14.7 U/L versus ALT = 198.67 +/- 122.89 U/L [p < 0.0005] and bilirubin = 9.6 +/- 4.0 micro mol/L versus bilirubin = 100.89 +/- 87.85 micro mol/L [p < 0.0001]. These data illustrate clearly that there is no significant interference with the normal concentration of H-FABP in the presence of liver diseases, despite the significant elevation of liver enzymes and proteins. These data may support a useful role of H-FABP for the diagnosis of myocardial injury in patients with liver diseases