Protective Antibodies to Bovine Milk Fat Globule and to Xanthine Oxidase Levels in Jordanian Patients with Acute Myocardial Infarction

ABSTRACT

Background: The previously reported circulating human antibodies against the Bovine Milk Fat Globule Membrane (BMFGM) were found to primarily target xanthine oxidase (XO) enzyme that produces uric acid and reactive oxygen species. It is suggested that XO could potentially be implicated in the pathogenesis of acute myocardial infarction. Methods: In this study, anti-BMFGM and anti-XO IgG, IgM and IgA antibodies were assayed in the sera of acute myocardial infarction patients and healthy control from the Jordanian population using the highly sensitive Enzymelinked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results: Serum high in antibodies against xanthine oxidase was used as a reference serum to standardize the assay. The levels of anti-BMFGM IgM antibodies were found to be higher in male controls than myocardial infarction male patients in contrast to female group, but no significant differences were observed in the levels of IgG and IgA antibodies. The levels of anti-xanthine oxidase IgM and IgG antibodies were significantly higher in myocardial infarction patients when compared with their corresponding controls. Conflicting results were obtained when different personnel measured the IgM antibody titres, likely due to infarction factors of IgM aggregation within the assay. Results from this study demonstrate significant differences in the levels of antiMFGM and anti-XO IgM antibodies between myocardial infarction patients and controls. Conclusion: Collectively, the data suggest that XO may be a risk factor in myocardial infarction patients and the presence of antibodies may act as a protective factor