DETECTION OF CIRCULATING ALPHA-ACTININ IN NON-INSULIN-DEPENDENT DIABETICS WITH AUTONOMIC DYSFUNCTION

The presence of cardiac proteins in serum has been related to ischemic heart diseases such as acute myocardial infarction and angina pectori s, which are more frequent in non-insulin-dependent diabetic patients. Silent myocardial ischemia, which is also more frequent in these pati ents, occurs in association with autonomic dysfunction. We used Wester n blot analysis to search the myocardial protein alpha-actinin in sera from non-insulin-dependent diabetic patients with or without autonomi c dysfunction. Of the 24 diabetic patients with neuropathy, 18 were po sitive for circulating alpha-actinin; this protein was found in only 1 of the 22 diabetic patients without neuropathy. Our results showed a significant correlation between non-insulin-dependent diabetic patient s with neuropathy and detectable circulating alpha-actinin in serum, a nd suggest that the determination by immunoblotting of serum alpha-act inin in these patients may be an effective method to detect myocardial cell impairment, and to identify diabetic patients that may need spec ial consideration.