INCREASED CIRCULATING SOLUBLE FORM OF FAS IN PATIENTS WITH DILATED CARDIOMYOPATHY

To examine the prognostic role of the circulating soluble form of Pas (sFas), circulating sFas levels were measured in 33 patients with dila ted cardiomyopathy (DCM) and 12 age-matched normal control subjects (N C) using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Circulating sFa s levels in DCM were significantly higher than those in NC (2.42+/-1.0 2 vs 1.66+/-0.20ng/ml, p=0.015). Patients with DCM were stratified int o 2 groups [group I (n=15): sFas greater than or equal to 2.06 ng/ml; group II (n=18): sFas <2.06 ng/ml] on the basis of the mean value plus 2SD of circulating sFas level in NC. The circulating sFas level was s ignificantly increased in relation to the severity of heart failure an d correlated positively to left ventricular end-diastolic pressure in DCM. However, there were no significant differences in left ventricula r dimension between the 2 groups. There were 5 deaths from worsening h eart failure in group II, but there were no deaths in group I during t he follow-up period. In conclusion, circulating sFas levels were incre ased in patients with DCM. Circulating sFas levels are increased in pr oportion to the severity of heart failure and may provide prognostic i nformation independent of left ventricular geometry.